Senate reconstitutes ad-hoc committee to probe economic sabotage
By David Olu
The Senate has reconstituted its ad hoc committee to investigate alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian petroleum industry.
This is contrary to reports that some stakeholders were working to stop the oil probe.
Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over plenary on Thursday, made the announcement during plenary.
Barau made the announcement after the Leader of the Senate/Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele sponsored a motion on the need for the two chambers to jointly conduct the oil probe.
The upper chamber communicated the decision to reconstitute to the House of Representatives with a view to conducting a more holistic investigation that would sanitise the petroleum industry.
In his motion, Bamidele observed that the House of Representatives had debated on the same subject and also constituted its ad hoc committee to investigate it.
He stressed the need for the Ad-hoc Committees of the two chambers to work together to avoid duplication in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
Bamidele called for the reconstitution of the committee to 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.”
While Bamidele will still chair the National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage, its members include: Senators Ekpenyong, Yahaya Abdullahi; Mohammed Monguno and Solomon Olamilekan.
Other members are: Senators Diket Plang, Ipalibo Banigo; Khabeeb Mustapha; Adams Oshiomhole; Williams Jonah; Adetokunbo Abiru; Osita Izunaso; Sahabi Ya’u; Abdul Ningi and Suleiman Kawu.
The Senate had on Wednesday, July 3, debated a motion on the urgent need to investigate the Importation of Hazardous Petroleum Products and Dumping of Substandard Diesel into Nigeria moved by Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River).
The Senate had on Thursday, July 11, recaptioned the title of the Ad-hoc Committee to Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry.
After holding meetings with key stakeholders in the petroleum sector, the Bamidele Committee put its activities on hold with conducting a joint session with the lower chamber and providing workable antidotes to a myriad of challenges in the industry.
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