By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has initiated a probe into the huge investments into the Turn Around Maintenance of the nation’s major Refineries and why the exercise has not yielded the desired results leading to plan to sell them.
The Committee also announced that it was investigating the bottlenecks associated with obtaining crude by local and modular refineries, and why local refiners should travel to Switzerland to negotiate obtaining crude locally.
Briefing newsmen yesterday, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere said it is disturbing that after the hype that greeted the return of the Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries to production status, they had to shut down again.
“The House intends to find out what went wrong especially when considered against the backdrop that the company handling the turnaround maintenance is a reputable company, adding that before considering whether or not the refineries should either be sold or privatised, the House will find out what went wrong”, he said.
Speaking further, Hon. Ugochinyere said the Committee has received several petitions on issues affecting the petroleum sector, adding that the Committee will find a permanent solution to the issue, especially when it has to do with providing stock for modular and other local refineries.
He said the House has also received several petitions from Refinery owners, oil marketers and retailers on the bottleneck they are having, adding that they have complained about their huge investment which is likely to be affected by certain policies, especially the allegation of Dangote Refinery planned take-over of Petroleum Products transportation/retailing.
According to him, the stakeholders have complained that their investment in the country will be impacted negatively if the policy is allowed to subsist, adding that oil retailers have also complained about the likely takeover of their business which has led to tension across the country.
The lawmaker said the Committee will reopen investigation into the acquisition of OVH and the complaints from NNPC Retail Staff, adding that the House had rejected the report of an earlier investigation into the matter and ordered the committee to reopen the matter.
The House he said will look at ways of amending the Petroleum Industry Act to address emerging issues not covered by the law, saying the committee intend to put together all such areas of amendment for the approval of the House with a view to strengthen NMDPRA/downstream petroleum sector.
He disclosed that the Committee resolved to dismiss the petition asking for the dissolution of the NMDPRA because the PIA confers the appointing powers on the President, adding that “we cannot go back to the old order where every government fires people anyhow.
“We are not out to protect anybody. If anybody is found to have been engaged in corrupt activities, the law should be allowed it take its course”, he added.
