Among pervasive allegations of sabotage in the petroleum industry, the Senate has resorted to making inquiries over $1.5 billion approved for the turn-around maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery in 2021 with little or no result.
Consequently, the upper chamber maintained that it was cruel, unfair and wrong to treat government owned businesses or public companies as orphans while private businesses thrived.
The Leader of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate the alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele initiated the queries in a session with stakeholders at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
In attendance was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Malam Melee Kyari and Chief Executive Office, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, among others.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a whopping sum of $1.5 billion under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the plan by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to rehabilitate and turn around the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Despite the huge investment, the government-owned refinery is yet to function effectively and as such, compelled the country to depend almost entirely on the importation of petroleum products.
Speaking at the session, Mr. Bamidele expressed his concerns on the dysfunctionality of the government-owned refineries despite billions of Dollars invested to carry out turn-around maintenance on the installation. He observed that the federation “is undergoing a truly challenging period,” pointing out that the supply and distribution of refined petroleum products “has been irregular and problematic in the recent history of our fatherland.”
“The long queues at filling stations are obviously a testament to this challenge. A situation, whereby we now depend almost entirely on the importation of these products, even when we daily supply the global oil market no fewer than two percent of its crude oil requirements, is to say the least, highly worrisome. We also have at hand a grievous issue of national concern that directly borders on the importation of hazardous petroleum products and dumping of substandard diesel into the country,” he said.
Mr. Bamidele observed that under different administrations since 1999, the federal government has invested billions of Dollars to maintain and turn around the state-owned refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri. But the refineries are not functioning.
“In 2021, specifically, the FEC approved $1.5 billion for the turn-around maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery. Yet, this investment has not yielded significant returns. For us, in the Senate, we believe, it is unfair and unpatriotic to treat government businesses or public corporations as an orphan while private businesses are flourishing and thriving,” he added.
In a bid to nip these challenges in the bud, the chairman of the ad-hoc committee disclosed that the Senate plans to jointly conduct investigations into diverse allegations of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry along with the House of Representatives.
Bamidele, also noted that there would be no room for grandstanding during the investigative hearing, promising that the committee would carry out its mandate fairly and impartially.
While insisting that nobody will be untouchable, he stated that the task of ridding the petroleum industry of malfeasance “is urgent and must be carried out in the spirit of nationalism and patriotism. We are ready to carry it out with all senses of honour and responsibility.”
“We are also taking it seriously with a view to addressing fundamental issues that pose grave threats to our economic prosperity, fiscal stability and public health as a federation. In line with our mandate, we will definitely unravel factors and forces aiding sabotage in our petroleum industry. From our findings, we will craft a legislative framework that will entrench global best practices in the industry; open it up for more investments, especially in the midstream and downstream sectors and end vicious regimes of subterfuge in the petroleum industry. We are utterly committed to this mandate. We shall carry it out without fear or favour. We shall be equitable, fair and just to all parties with a view to promoting and protecting the strategic national interests of our fatherland,” Mr. Bamidele said.
He, therefore, promised that the National Assembly is ready to carry out the investigative hearing with all senses of honor and responsibility citing impeccable professional backgrounds of the members of the committee.
Also, at the session, Kyari declared that the NNPCL “is loyal and faithful to the country,” saying its management has vowed to protect the interest of Nigeria in the petroleum industry. He observed that most problems in the petroleum industry had nothing to do with NNPCL. “We are faithful and loyal to the economic interest of this country. We are not criminals. We are not thieves. But we will protect our dignity and honour.” he said.
In his own remarks, Edun said the increase in the crude would stabilise the country’s foreign exchange market while expressing confidence in the leadership of the ad-hoc committee to conduct an unbiased and impartial investigation.
