Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) has defended the remarks he made during the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) investigation into the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), insisting that he never referred to the oil company as a “house of thieves.”
Speaking on Seun Okinbaloye’s podcast, MIC On, aired online on Sunday, Oshiomhole reacted to the Senate’s decision to distance itself from his comments and to revoke the warrant of arrest earlier issued against former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.
The former Edo State governor explained that his comments were made in response to a former NNPC chief financial officer who suggested that Senators were involved in influencing appointments within the company.
Oshiomhole alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s daughter was appointed to a highly sought-after position in the NNPCL without following due process. He argued that his criticism was aimed at what he described as a culture of nepotism within the organisation.
According to him, successive NNPCL leaders have allegedly secured jobs for their children, relatives, and associates, turning top positions within the company into what he called a “family business.” He likened the practice to a traditional system where leadership and privileges are inherited.
The Senator, however, maintained that there is nothing wrong with employing children of Senators or other public officials if they are qualified and recruited through proper procedures. He stressed that concerns should only arise when appointments are made without merit or due process.
Oshiomhole also rejected the Senate’s move to dissociate itself from his remarks, arguing that he spoke in his personal capacity and that anyone who felt defamed had the right to seek legal redress.
On the issue of the arrest warrant against Kyari, Oshiomhole cited previous statements by Senate President Akpabio regarding the powers of Senate committees, insisting that committee chairmen exercise delegated authority during investigative proceedings.
His comments came days after the Senate, through a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, formally declared that Oshiomhole’s remarks on the NNPCL did not represent the official position of the upper chamber. The Senate also nullified the arrest warrant issued against Kyari, stating that only the Senate President has the authority to approve such warrants in matters involving Senate committees.
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