By Gift Chapi Odekina
The House of Representatives Ad -Hoc committee investigating the volume of fuel consumption in the country summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (NNPC), and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) following their refusal to attend the investigative hearing into the actual daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria.
The chairman of the committee Hon. Abdulkadir Abdullahi while expressing concern over the reoccurrence of incidences of fuel scarcity; controversies and concerns generated over the huge sums of money being paid as oil subsidies and the inaccuracy of data required for effective planning, supply and distribution of the premium motor spirit (PMS), solicited the cooperation of all the stakeholders throughout the investigative hearing.
He further assured that the Committee was out neither to witch-hunt any person nor organization but is all out to ascertain the actual daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria.
The Speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Rep. Peter Akpatason while reading the Riot Act during the flag-off of the investigative hearing, observed that the House also mandated the Committee not to restrict its findings to the NNPC records alone, but to liaise with experts in the industry, transport workers and all other stakeholders to determine an independent finding for the benefit of Nigerians.
Gbagabamila, While noting that the House in exercising its constitutional powers as stipulated in sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) has the duty to inquire into the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, with the duty of or responsibility for executing or administering laws enacted by the National Assembly, said that the attention of the House was reportedly drawn to the lingering incidences of fuel scarcity causing significant loss of manhour and untold hardship suffered by Nigerians.
He said controversies and concerns were also generated over the huge sums of money being paid as oil subsidies and the inaccuracy of data required for effective planning, supply and distribution of the premium motor spirit (PMS).
“Only last week, the News was awash with the trading of blames between the NMDPRA and IPMAN over bridging the gap as a result of the rising cost of IPMAN’s operations, reportedly to the tune of over N70 billion in the interim, to address the lingering fuel scarcity.
“The National Assembly in the repeal and re-enactment of the Year 2022 Appropriation Act has projected the cost of subsidy for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to be over N4 trillion.
“In view of the above, the House of Representatives has constituted and mandated the Ad-hoc Committee on the volume of fuel consumed daily in the country, to engage the key operators in the sector, so as to leverage on your expertise and experience in the industry and come up with a solution or template required for effective planning, supply and distribution of the premium motor spirit (PMS) in Nigeria.”
While noting that the amount being expended on fuel subsidy as reeled out by the apex bank and NNPC on the fuel subsidy is doubtful and contested by concerned stakeholders, the Speaker frowned at the failure of all the accounting officers to honour the invitation of the Ad-hoc Committee.
“Now you have been given the opportunity to come here and show us what you know, bring out facts that will either confirm or controvert the stories that are out there. So that at the end of the day we are able to act on facts. But here we are.
“I know NNPC hardly absent itself from this kind of investigative hearings, they wrote a letter which is quite commendable but it’s appalling that such letter will come in at this point and there was no single representative that will come and explain why the company cannot appear before submitting the letter.
“That is not fair, how much more CBN? CBN paid these monies and people are disputing the figures that they are churning out to defend their position or clear the air. Is it that they are not taking the parliament seriously or what is that?
“I want to make it very clear that it is not acceptable to the parliament, that people, organisations that are saddled with the responsibility of managing the critical assignments like the distribution and accounting for the distribution and sale of PMS in this country will be reluctant to come here to do their duties.
“Your job is not only to go to your office and do whatever you have to do but you have to also come out and respond to the call of the government to show accountability for whatever that you are doing as an agency of government even if you are a private organisation that is also participating in the process of distribution, you must be accountable.
“So we want to see this attempt by critical stakeholders to absent themselves from this investigative hearing as an attempt to frustrate the efforts of the committee and the parliament will not take it likely
“And I want to say the subsequent meetings those of you who are not here, the major organisations who are not here, a lot of them are not here. Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who on earth will believe that the Ministry of petroleum resources will not be present here and will not send any message? Ministry of Finance is not here also; the Central Bank of Nigeria is not here; the office of the Accountant General, the popular office of Accountant General is not represented by anybody.
“Federal Inland Revenue Service is not here, this is not fair. Even PPMC is not here, they are the ones distributing and they are not here? This is not acceptable. Chairman I thought I should make this point so that you can carry on from there,” he said.
