By Ayomide Otitoju
The Senate has announced plans to summon key figures and organizations, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Dangote Group, and Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, over alleged economic sabotage in the country’s petroleum industry.
The disclosure was made by the Leader of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee on “Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry” during a media briefing on Thursday.
The chairman revealed that the 14-member committee, established on July 23, will investigate the billions of dollars spent on the turnaround maintenance of state-owned refineries over the last decade to address the industry’s deep-seated challenges.
A public hearing is scheduled for September 10, where the contractors handling the refineries’ maintenance are expected to attend. The ad-hoc committee also plans to visit Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Warri to engage with key actors in the petroleum industry.
Members of the committee expressed their determination to uncover the sector’s issues, declaring an end to business as usual. They stated that there would be no room for sacred cows and warned that they are prepared to issue warrants of arrest to any agency head who refuses to honor their invitation.
This development follows a recent clash between the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s regulatory authorities. The company has been accused of rolling out substandard products, a claim denied by the NNPCL. The House of Representatives has also visited the refinery in Lagos State during an inspection tour and is investigating the claims of inferior products from the refinery.
In response to the clash, the House of Representatives called for the suspension of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over his “unguarded comments” about the quality of products from the Dangote Refinery. Several Nigerian businessmen and politicians have since rallied behind the company, calling for support for entrepreneurs in the country.
