The Senate has assured Nigerians that the probe of petroleum industry is on course as the Red Chamber after a long lull reconstituted its Ad hoc Committee to investigate alleged economic sabotage in the oil sector.
At its plenary on Thursday, it reconstituted the Committee, Christening it “National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry,”.
The Red Chamber will now work jointly with its counterpart in the House of Representatives.
The new designation was sequel to a motion, moved by Leader of the Senate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele on the need for the two chambers to jointly conduct the probe of the oil and gas sector.
Checks revealed that the Senate had last July 2024 debated a motion on the urgent need to investigate the Importation of Hazardous Petroleum Products and Dumping of Substandard Diesel into Nigeria.
It was moved by Senator representing Cross Rivers North, Asuquo Ekpenyong.
Further checks revealed that the Green Chamber has a similar Committee saddled with same objective of sanitizing the oil industry.
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Making his submission at plenary chaired by Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jubrin, the Senate Leader observed that there “is need for the Ad-hoc Committees of the two chambers to work together to avoid duplication in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.”
He further called for the committee to be reconstituted and be named as “National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry”.
After Bamidele’s presentation, the Senate recaptioned the title to “National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry”.
The upper chamber also resolved “to communicate its decision to the House of Representatives for the purpose of constituting the equal number of an ad-hoc committee that will working with the Senate.”
The Leader of the Senate will still chair the Committee under its new designation, National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage.
Lawmakers from the Red Chamber on the Committee include, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi; Senator Mohammed Monguno and Senator Solomon Olamilekan.
Other members are Senators Plang Diket, Ipalibo Banigo, Khabeeb Mustapha, Adams Oshiomhole, Williams Eteng Jonah, Adetokunbo Abiru and Osita Izunaso.
Also in the team are Senators Sahabi Ya’u, Ahmed Abdul Ningi and Suleiman A. Kawu.
The lawmakers agreed further that the resolution of the Senate be communicated to the House of Representatives, following which the Joint Ad-hoc Committee will be inaugurated by the presiding officers of both chambers
