Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen has appointed a seven-man committee to probe the alleged economic sabotage within the petroleum sector.
The House of Reps spokesman, Akin Rotimi in a statement on Friday announced the appointment of Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Inhovbere (APC, Edo) as the co-chairman of the new Joint Senate/House committee.
Other members of the committee include Iduma Ighariwey (Ebonyi, PDP), Gboyega Isiaka (Ogun, APC), Sada Soli (Katsina, APC), Fatima Talba (APC, Yobe), Tunji Raheem (Kwara, APC), and Patrick Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom).
The lower chamber had on Monday disbanded the joint committee, headed by Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere (Imo) and Rep. Henry Okojie (Edo).
In July, Ugochinyere’s committee was inaugurated to investigate the importation of adulterated petroleum products and the non-availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, among other energy issues.
However, the panel was embroiled in controversies, particularly regarding the investigation of the standoff between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The probe of the two entities divided members of the Green Chamber, with a group of lawmakers calling for the sack of Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of NMDPRA, and Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Justifying the constitution of the joint committee, Rotimi said the urgency and importance of the matter have necessitated close collaboration between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“The urgency & importance of this matter have necessitated close collaboration btw the Senate & @HouseNGR,” he said.
“This new structure aims to ensure synergy, a holistic approach to addressing the issues & ease of admin. coordination, resulting in a harmonised & efficient investigation.
“The committee is expected to commence its duties immediately, with a clear mandate to ensure accountability and transparency in the sector.”
