Public Inquiry Into Petroleum Sector Postponed Indefinitely By Senate

Public Inquiry Into Petroleum Sector Postponed Indefinitely By Senate

The Senate ad hoc committee, established to investigate alleged economic sabotage in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, has indefinitely postponed its public hearing originally scheduled for September 10 to 12.

The decision was announced late Sunday by the committee’s chair, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).

The committee, a 15-member panel inaugurated on July 22, 2024, was tasked with uncovering entities and practices that have detrimentally impacted the petroleum sector over the past decade.

Among its key objectives is to scrutinize the billions of dollars reportedly spent on the turnaround maintenance of refineries, an issue that has long plagued the industry with inefficiency and financial drain.

Citing “legislative exigencies aimed at further deepening due diligence” and the need for more extensive consultations, Senator Bamidele expressed the committee’s commitment to rescheduling the hearing at a later date.

He assured all stakeholders that they would be duly informed in advance of the new schedule.

Senator Bamidele’s statement emphasized that the postponement was made “purely and solely in the national interest,” and he expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to stakeholders, either collectively or individually.