The Senate has postponed its inquiry into alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum industry, emphasizing the need for broader consultations with stakeholders whose input is crucial for the success of the investigative hearing.
In addition to the consultations, the Senate cited legislative exigencies aimed at ensuring thorough due diligence during the investigation as another reason for the delay.
Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, shared these insights in a statement released on Sunday.
The Senate had formed the ad-hoc committee to examine the billions spent on maintaining the nation’s refineries, scrutinize regulatory agencies regarding payments to transporters, and uncover the alleged importation of hazardous petroleum products, including the dumping of substandard diesel.
Having completed its pre-investigation activities and held discussions with leaders of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), as well as representatives from the private sector in the downstream and midstream petroleum industries, the committee initially scheduled the public hearing for September 10-12, 2024.
However, in his Sunday statement, Senator Bamidele explained that after consultations with all committee members and key actors in the petroleum sector, the decision was made to postpone the hearing.
He assured stakeholders that the committee would announce a new date for the hearing and communicate it in due time.
Bamidele highlighted that this postponement was in the nation’s best interest, reiterating the need for thorough consultations with a wider array of stakeholders both within and outside the petroleum industry, as well as the importance of legislative priorities that require additional due diligence for an effective investigation.
He also pointed out that the current situation in the country, which demands immediate attention from both public and private sector stakeholders across all states and the Federal Capital Territory, played a role in the decision to delay the hearing.
While acknowledging any inconvenience caused to stakeholders, Bamidele stressed that the postponement was made solely for the national good.
He assured that the committee’s decisions aimed to facilitate a more comprehensive approach to the public hearing and to seek lasting solutions to the challenges facing the petroleum sector.
Bamidele concluded by reaffirming that a new date for the public hearing would be communicated to all stakeholders in a timely manner.
