By Blessing Patrick
The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) is to Investigate the huge investments into the Turn Around Maintenance of the nation’s major refineries and why the exercise has not yielded the desired results leading to plan to sell them.
The Committee also announced that it was investigating the bottlenecks associated with obtaining crude by local and modular refineries, and why local refiners should travel to Switzerland to negotiate obtaining crude locally.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Chairman of the Committee, Ikenga Ugochinyere said it is disturbing that after the hype that greeted the return of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries to production status, they had to shut down again.
According to him, the House intend to find out what went wrong especially when considered against the backdrop that the company handling the turn around maintenance is a reputable company, adding that before considering whether or not the refineries should wither be sold or privatised, the House will find out what went wrong.
He said the House Committee has received several petitions on issues affecting the petroleum sector, adding that the Committee will find a permanent solution to the issue, especially when it has to do with providing stock for modular and other local refineries.
He said the House has also received several petitions from refinery owners, oil marketers and retailers on the bottleneck they are having, adding that they have complained about their huge investment which is likely to be affected by certain policies, especially the allegation of Dangote Refinery planned take-over of Petroleum Products transportation/retailing.
He said the stakeholders have complained that their investment in the country will be impacted negatively if the policy is allowed to subsist, adding that oil retailers have also complained about the likely take over of their business which has led to tension across the country.
Ugochinyere said the committee will reopen investigation into the acquisition of OVH and the complaints from NNPC Retail Staff, adding that the House had rejected the report of an earlier investigation into the matter and ordered the committee to reopen the matter.
The House he said will look at ways of amending the Petroleum Industry Act to address emerging issues not covered by the law, saying the committee intend to put together all such areas of amendment for the approval of the House with a view to strengthen NMDPRA/downstream petroleum sector.
He disclosed that the Committee resolved to dismiss the petition asking for the dissolution of the NMDPRA because the PIA confer the appointing powers on the President, adding that “we cannot go back to the old order where every government fires people anyhow.
“We are not out to protect anybody. If anybody is found to have been engaged in corrupt activities, the law should be allowed tk take it’s course”.
He said the House Committee will also investigate issue of the incorporation of Artisanal Miners into the petroleum refining value chain, following complain that the experience not such persons will be eroded if they are excluded.
Another investigation by the committee, he said is the alleged abandonment of the Biomas Ethane project as well as allegation and counter allegation over the continued importation of fuel and protection of local refiners- legislative solutions.
He also announced that the House intend to himself the inaugural edition of annual Downstream Petroleum Week event begining from October 2, 2025.
He assured that the House will not allow any monopoly in the oil sector of the country, assuring that all the sub committees set up willl fast-tracking the investigation of pending referrals to the Committee, address crucial matters and developments that have arisen, which threaten sustainability in the downstream sector, with a view to making the downstream sector stronger and more viable.
