Adulterated Fuel: House Revokes Decision, Exonerates Duke Oil, Others of Complicity

*Urges NNPC to maintain 90m liters daily supply
Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has rescinded its earlier decision, directing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to suspend four oil marketers/importers – Duke Oil, MRS Oil and Gas, Oando Oil and Emadeb, Energy/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Britannia-U Consortium – who were reportedly responsible for importation of adulterated petroleum into the country.

The House had on February 10, while adopting a motion of urgent national importance, sponsored by the Chief Whip, Hon. Tahir Monguno, asked NNPC Limited to suspend the above named companies.

It had mandated its Committee on Petroleum Downstream to investigate the release of the product with a view in ensuring that culprits are brought to book and make recommendations to avoid reoccurrence.

Members of the Committee were also mandated to find out the roles played, if any by the NNPC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Navy, Customs, limited liability companies and perhaps individuals in respect of this incident.

But on March 23, the lawmakers stepped down the recommendations as contained in the Committee’s report, describing it as falling short of expectations of Nigerians, and called for further investigation.

Resuming consideration of the new recommendations, presented by Petroleum Downstream Committee Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Gaya in the Committee of the Whole yesterday, the lawmakers said based on the NNPC’s exoneration, the four oil marketers did not commit any offense, therefore not recommended for suspension.
The House urged NNPC Limited to maintain local supply and distribution of 90 Million liters daily across the country until normalcy is restored.

It directed the Minister of Petroleum Resources to expedite action for completion of the rehabilitation work and ensure upgrading of the major refineries at Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna to meet AFRI5 Specification to boost local refining and reduce over-dependence on imported PMS into Nigeria to avert reoccurrence.

The lawmakers also directed the Minister to initiate the adoption of the 2017 PMS Standard (NIS 116:2017) as approved by SON which include testing for Methanol for future importation of the product into the country to mitigate reoccurrence.

Other recommendations included, “that the federal government should position SON to implement its mandate to the latter by subjecting all imported white Petroleum and other products to the Offshore conformity assessment and also resume routine quality control of them and other products imported into the country at our various Seaports, Airports and Borders throughout Nigeria as enshrined in SON enabling Act of 2015. “This will finally address the reoccurrence of the importation of off-specification PMS and other substandard goods into Nigeria.

“That the federal government is to note that SON mandate is also specifically enshrined in item 62 (d) of Part I of the Second Schedule (Exclusive Legislative List), to the 1999 Constitution. that the Regulatory Authority in this case Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) should ensure proper housekeeping by working with Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in ensuring water is drained regularly out of the tanks in the Tank Farms, Tankers (trucks) and underground tanks at the service stations.”

Also, the lawmakers at the plenary, received report from the Committee on Pensions on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Pension Reform Act, 2014 to Provide for Exemption of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The report was laid by its Chairman, Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum.