The Senate’s Committee on Downstream Petroleum resolved on Tuesday to scrutinise all contracts awarded for the renovation of all state-owned refineries between 2010 and 2023.
The lawmakers also intend to monitor progress on ongoing projects in all refineries to prevent waste and corruption, as well as question the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on the best approach to commercialising and/or ensuring the profitability of state-owned refineries and invite the NNPCL, NUPRC, and LN.
The Senate frowned at what they perceive to be sabotage of the Federal Government’s effort to resuscitate the nation’s refineries, in spite of N11.35 trillion spent on maintenance of the moribund refineries.
The Senate has also raised the urgent need for security agencies to probe the circumstances leading to the Otukpo bank robbery attack on Friday, October 20 which claimed the lives of nearly of 8 persons including 4 police personnel. It also called for an unravelling of reasons behind the lack of intelligence and alertness on the part of the police on the day of the attack.
For the motion moved by Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) the Senate also observed a minute silence in honour of the dead victims of the Otukpo bank robbery.
