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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The House of Representatives has dissolved the ad-hoc Joint Downstream and Midstream Committee investigating the importation of adulterated petroleum products, non-availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, and other critical energy security issues.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu, had while inaugurating the committee penultimate Monday,on behalf of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, expressed concern over the resurgence of fuel queues at petrol stations, increasing cost of petrol, and unavailability of crude oil feedstock for domestic refineries.
Kalu noted that the investigation would also extend to other related issues impacting the sector, emphasising the need for compliance with global standards in the quality of petroleum products imported into Nigeria.
He stressed that Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) must ensure that all petrol imported into the country is rigorously tested in laboratories to meet standard sulphur and octane levels.
“It is unacceptable that the petrol imported into the country contains high sulphur levels and has low octane levels. This has previously led to socio-economic losses, including damage to vehicle engines.
“One critical aspect we must address is the infrastructure for quality assurance that enables robust testing of petroleum products with full adherence to the standard practice for manual sampling,” Kalu had said.
He tasked the joint committee with investigating the quality and the number of laboratories that both the NMDPRA and SON use for their tests and to provide actionable feedback.
Since the probe began, there had been controversies, with lawmakers splitting into various groups.
The ad-hoc committee led by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Ikenga Ugochinyere, had been calling for the sack of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, Mele Kyari, while another group of 50 lawmakers has called for his retention.
The lawmakers led by Billy Osawaru, said the call for the sacking of Kyari when an investigation is currently being carried out was an action that is against parliamentary culture.
However, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives,Akin Rotimi, announced that the ad-hoc committee had been dissolved and a new one would be constituted.
“The leadership of the House of Representatives has resolved to dissolve the current ad-hoc Joint Downstream and Midstream Committee.
“Initially tasked with investigating the importation of adulterated petroleum products, the non-availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, and other critical energy security issues, this committee will be succeeded by a newly constituted ad-hoc committee with the same mandate.
“To ensure the efficacy and independence of this investigation, the new committee will consist of honourable members selected for their expertise, competence, and integrity.
“The House remains committed to addressing these vital issues and ensuring thorough oversight. Further details on the new committee’s operations will be provided in due course,” Rotimi said.
