I need powers to oversee, report on Nilepet, says Kang Chol
The national Minister for Petroleum, Puot Kang Chol, says he is unable to answer the parliamentary questions on accountability at Nile Petroleum Corporation because the body is not currently answerable to him.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop on the Stakeholders Meeting for Petroleum Laws organized by the National Constitutional Amendment Committee, chaired by NCAC chairperson Gichira Kibera, the minister lamented how he struggled to answer queries by the cabinet over the operations and revenue generated by the company.
“It is always difficult because the line ministry in terms of activities that Nilepet is carrying out his ministry of petroleum, but the chair is the minister of presidential affairs. So, you find it difficult who to report to the cabinet,” he lamented, throwing doubts on
“When I am asked, I will say I don’t know because they are supposed to report to the ministry of presidential affairs. But when it comes to the activities of the company, they are related to us. I would recommend that you look at it very critically and look at it with the mindset that we want to come out with the best act and a sector that we should be able to improve.”
He added that the contractors operating in oil fields were not reliable in terms of running the oil fields satisfactorily.
With gaping holes on who to account for Nilepet operations being evident, Mr Chol advised the NCAC members to amend the Petroleum Act and clearly define the right authority to issue reports.
Attempts to reach the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin and the Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Ateny Wek Ateny, for a comment were futile, as their contracts could not go through.
The Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, (R-ARCSS) emphasises ‘‘proper management of oil revenue by ensuring transparency and accountability,’’ but does not necessarily mention to who Nilepet’s management should be reporting.
Petroleum Act
Chapter III, 10, 1 and 2, of the Petroleum Act 2012 states that the National Petroleum and Gas Commission of South Sudan must be established to make policies and report to the president, the National Legislative Assembly and the Council of States.
It further states that the commission will be reporting to the president, the legislative assembly, and the council of states.
“The commission shall be a policy-making body and shall report to the president, the National Legislative Assembly, and the Council of States,” the Petroleum Act 2012 states.
However, the Petroleum Minister claimed that the Ministry initially chaired the Board of Directors, but currently, the Minister for Presidential Affairs has the tenure. He claimed that the management should be reporting to the Ministry of Petroleum.
This is contrary to the Petroleum Act 2012 which stated that no government minister will be part of the commission that will be comprised of 11 members.
“No minister of the government shall be a member of the commission. “The Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and the Secretary-General shall not be appointed from any of the relevant national ministries or institutions,” the Petroleum Act 2012 reads.
“The commission shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the National Legislative Assembly by a simple majority.”
The governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan, Moses Makur Deng warned against laws being made by foreigners for South Sudanese.
Taking over
Chol suggested that the national workforce should be positioned to offer alternative labour is driving the operations of the oil fields.
This is just months after the Nilepet Managing Director, Chol Deng Thon, said in March 2022 that the company was working to control the country’s oil exploration by 2027.
This came while he was briefing Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA), promising that the workforce was warming up, and equipment and software ready awaiting the corporation’s vision 2027.
“Our team is ready and they are also working with the service companies to realize the vision of 2027. So yes, we are ready and, hopefully, with the support of honourable members of the petroleum committee and the ministry of petroleum, we will be able to realize the vision 2027, and we will become an operator,” Chol stressed.
