A coalition comprising of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the oil and gas sector expressed their appreciation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, for the dissolution of the House joint ad hoc committee on Downstream and Midstream Petroleum.
The joint committee, led by Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere (Imo) and Rep. Henry Okojie (Edo), was disbanded on Monday morning through a statement signed by the House Spokespersons, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jnr.
Initially assigned to investigate the alleged importation of adulterated petroleum products, non-availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, and other critical energy security issues, the committee had become embroiled in controversies, leading to serious divisions among its members. While some called for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, others advocated for an impartial probe and cautioned against partisanship.
In a press statement on Tuesday, the Coalition for Energy Transformation, Integrity and Transparency (CETIT), representing over 28 leading CSOs in the industry, commended Speaker Abbas for his decisive action in averting a potential international embarrassment for the institution.
The Coalition criticized the perceived partisanship of the joint committee and expressed discontent over members of the House preemptively taking sides before the conclusion of the probe. They underlined the importance of prioritizing national interests above personal ones and voiced concern over the committee's perceived pursuit of vendetta, stating that the fundamental purpose of the committee was compromised from the outset.
Acknowledging Speaker Abbas's intervention as timely and nationalistic, the Coalition praised the decision to disband the committee. They lauded the Speaker for upholding the integrity of the National Assembly, affirming trust in the 10th House as the 'People's House.'
The Coalition urged the Speaker to establish a neutral and impeccable panel to handle the probe transparently and without bias, assuring full support for the forthcoming committee and the Abbas-led House.