Editor
By Fatima Saka
The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Petroleum Industry has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil) and twenty other individuals to appear before the ad hoc committee for an investigative hearing scheduled for September 10th – 12th, 2024.
The Ad-Hoc Committee has called on all pertinent stakeholders to provide full cooperation with the Senate during the investigative hearing.
Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian petroleum industry, made this called during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
In light of the probe into alleged economic sabotage, the committee has assured Nigeria that it will not tolerate such occurrences in the future.
The Committee plans to engage with stakeholders in various regions to gather localized insights and feedback. To ensure transparency and broad participation, a platform will be created for the submission of memoranda by the general public and stakeholders before the public hearings.
They emphasized that the integrity of the Senate committee overseeing the country’s resources supply chain will be upheld, and the timelines for the commencement of government-funded oil refineries will be established.
During the briefing, the Chairman of the Senate ad hoc committee cautioned committee members that anyone with potential conflicts of interest, whether personal, professional, or business-related, should recuse themselves to protect the overarching public interest that the country aims to safeguard.
He further pledged to the public that the committee will conduct the investigation with the utmost diligence and integrity. “We are committed to protecting the interests of all Nigerians and restoring confidence in our energy sector.”
The Chairman highlighted the importance of inspecting the state-owned refineries to assess their operational status, given the significant investments made in their maintenance without yielding meaningful results over the years.
He stated, “It is crucial to understand why local refineries remain non-operational despite substantial annual expenditures on maintenance and operations. We will closely examine the actions taken by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to address this persistent issue.”
“The investigation aims to identify and hold accountable all parties involved in the importation and distribution of adulterated Petroleum Products (PMS and AGO), including suppliers, importers, regulatory bodies, and other entities contributing to quality control lapses. Recommendations for necessary reforms to prevent such occurrences in the future will be proposed after a thorough review of existing regulatory frameworks.”
“The public hearing is scheduled for September 10th – 12th, 2024, during which key stakeholders in the petroleum industry will be engaged to expose those responsible for illicit practices in importing hazardous and substandard petroleum products into the country. Following the public hearing, the committee will deliberate on all submissions, prepare a report, and adopt necessary measures.
Others twenty stakeholders summoned for the investigation include: the Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO) and Contractors, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Navy, OBAT Oil, Matrix Energy Depot, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), International Oil Companies (IOCs), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Dangote Group, Modular Refineries, and Capital Oil.
