The House of Representatives has dissolved the current ad-hoc Joint Downstream and Midstream Committee responsible for investigating the importation of adulterated petroleum products, the non-availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, and other critical energy security issues.
In a statement, House Spokesman Rep. Akin Rotimi announced the decision, which was taken during the committee’s inauguration last Monday. Rotimi stated that the existing ad-hoc committee would be replaced with a newly constituted one that will maintain the same mandate.
“The Leadership of the House of Representatives has resolved to dissolve the current ad-hoc Joint Downstream and Midstream Committee,” Rotimi said. “This committee will be succeeded by a newly constituted ad-hoc committee with the same mandate.”
Rotimi emphasized that the new committee would consist of members selected for their expertise, competence, and integrity to ensure the efficacy and independence of the investigation. He assured that the House remains committed to addressing these vital issues and ensuring thorough oversight, with further details on the new committee’s operations to be provided in due course.
During the meeting, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, speaking on behalf of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, expressed concern over the resurgence of fuel queues at petrol stations, the increasing cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and the unavailability of crude oil feedstock for domestic refineries.
Kalu highlighted the importance of compliance with global standards in the quality of petroleum products imported into Nigeria.
“It is unacceptable that the petrol imported into the country contains high sulfur levels, is leaded, and has low octane levels,” Kalu said. “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 standard practices for manual sampling.”
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Kalu tasked the new committee with investigating the quality and number of laboratories used by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for their tests, and to provide actionable feedback.
The former ad-hoc committee, led by Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Downstream Ikenga Ugochinyere, had been advocating for the dismissal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mele Kyari. However, another group of 50 lawmakers, led by Billy Osawaru from Edo State, has called for Kyari’s retention, arguing that the call for his sacking during an ongoing investigation contradicts parliamentary culture.
