The House of Representatives has announced that the Joint Senate/House Ad Hoc Committees on the Petroleum Industry Investigation will be inaugurated on September 25, 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Spokesman for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, Jr., on Wednesday and shared via the lawmakers’ official WhatsApp platform.
The announcement came after the ad-hoc Joint Committee on Downstream and Midstream was disbanded.
This committee had been looking into the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) relating to the importation of contaminated petrol and the lack of crude oil for local refineries on August 27, 2024.
According to Rotimi, following the 10th Assembly’s resumption on September 24, 2024, it will continue to drive its Legislative Agenda, focusing on impactful reforms aimed at national development and fulfilling its mandate to the Nigerian people, including issues related to the oil and gas reform
“Upon reconvening, the leadership of the House will inaugurate the new board of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and the Joint Senate/House Ad Hoc Committees on the Petroleum Industry Investigation on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
“Further details regarding these activities will be announced during plenary on the day of resumption,” he stated.
He revealed that lawmakers had recently engaged in constituency outreach across the country, addressing critical issues of concern to constituents and deepening oversight of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
Rotimi also disclosed that a new committee will be established to continue the investigation into the importation of adulterated petroleum products, the unavailability of crude oil for domestic refineries, and other critical energy security issues.
On July 3, 118 members under the banner “1 AGENDA” placed an advertorial in three national dailies, allegedly aimed at protecting the NNPCL during the now-aborted probe panel.
However, some lawmakers whose names appeared in the advertorial have distanced themselves from it.