Public Hearing For Dangote, NNPC Postponed By Senate

Public Hearing For Dangote, NNPC Postponed By Senate

The Senate has announced a delay in the public hearing on the alleged sabotage within Nigeria’s petroleum sector. The postponement is aimed at allowing for more comprehensive consultations with key stakeholders, whose input is considered crucial for a thorough investigation…….CONTINUE READING 

The rescheduled hearing, now set for September 10 to 12, 2024, will include participation from several significant entities. These include the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, representatives from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigeria Ports Authority. Other invited entities are the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Navy, International Oil Companies, Dangote Group, Capital Oil, and various modular refineries.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged economic sabotage, explained that the delay is due to the need for thorough due diligence and legislative requirements to ensure a comprehensive investigation. The committee was established to review significant expenditures on refinery maintenance, overpayments to transporters, and alleged importation of hazardous petroleum products and substandard diesel.

Following detailed pre-investigation activities, including discussions with various Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and private sector stakeholders, the committee decided to postpone the hearing to September 10-12, 2024. Bamidele highlighted that this decision was made after careful consultation with committee members and key figures in the petroleum sector.

The postponement aims to provide a broader perspective and address pressing issues within the petroleum sector, reflecting the current needs of both public and private stakeholders across Nigeria. Bamidele assured that a new date for the hearing will be announced soon and emphasized that the decision was made in the national interest.

This development follows a recent appeal from the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which criticized the recent petrol price hike as detrimental to workers and called for the reversal of labor-unfriendly economic policies. Following the increase, independent fuel stations have adjusted their prices, with some in Ilorin, Kwara State, selling fuel at ₦1000 per litre.