Centre Hails Abass, Kalu Over 10th House Of Reps’ Courage To Probe NNPCL, Others

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and his Deputy, .Benjamin Kalu, have been commended by the African Centre For Transparency and Reform (ACTR) over the resolve of the 10th House to conduct forensic investigation into the downstream sector of the nation’s petroleum resource. ACTR, in a statement signed by its Strategy Director, […]

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and his Deputy, .Benjamin Kalu, have been commended by the African Centre For Transparency and Reform (ACTR) over the resolve of the 10th House to conduct forensic investigation into the downstream sector of the nation’s petroleum resource.

ACTR, in a statement signed by its Strategy Director, Mallam Abubakar, Ali threw its weight behind the investigation of the downstream sector administered by the Mele Kyari-led Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPLC), saying the exercise will unravel the mysteries surrounding the dwindling fortunes of that critical area of the country’s economy.

The centre urged the House joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream) chaired by Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Odianosen Henry Okojie, respectively to carry out the assignment with due diligence and spare no one found guilty of the weighty allegations uncovered by the Green Chamber of the National Assembly.

The statement said: “We wholeheartedly welcome the resolve of the House of Representatives mandating its Committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and (Midstream) to carry out a legislative forensic investigation into the resurgence of fuel queues in petrol stations, allegations of the high cost of PMS, and the unavailability of fuel stock for downstream domestic refineries, among other things.

“We are also delighted that the committees are to carry out a legislative forensic investigation into the presence of middlemen in trading, the indiscriminate issuance of licenses, the unavailability of laboratories to check adulterated products, the influx of adulterated products into the country, the allegation of non-domestication of profits realised from crude marketing sales in local banks, and other anomalies.

“Interestingly, the panels will be conducting a legislative forensic probe into the allegation of the importation of substandard products and high-sulphur diesel into Nigeria, the sale of petroleum products below fair market value, and the impact on downstream and local refineries and as the source of funds for such interventions, amongst other things, and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.”