NIGERIA has voted to launch a wide-ranging inquiry into the activities of state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC). Lawmakers said a probe of the NNPC, which oversees Nigeria’s mainstay oil industry and produces crude oil in joint venture with major multinationals, could be a first step towards a wider investigation of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. The motion, approved by unanimous voice call, said the inquiry would focus ”specifically on the awards of contracts for the importation of refined petroleum products” and the running of Nigeria’s four troubled refineries. The hearings will be held in public and a special adhoc inquiry committee still to be constituted would have two months to complete its work. ”The NNPC in its published accounts for the first six months of this year has shown a deficit of 58 billion naira ($568.6m),” said Nduka Irabor, who led 25 other MPs in sponsoring the motion. ”The management should have been sacked were NNPC a private company.” NNPC holds an average 57% in six joint ventures with oil majors includig Royal Dutch/Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp, Agip, TotalFinaElf and Texaco Corp. – Reuters