Point News247 reports that the House of Representatives has asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to suspend the companies involved in the importation of adulterated fuel.
The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Mohammed Monguno during the plenary session on Thursday.
It was earlier reported that the Group Managing Director of the NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari said MRS, Oando, Emadeb Consortium, and Duke Oil, a subsidiary of the NNPC, imported the methanol-blended petrol.
A Lawmaker from Akwa Ibom state, Onofiok Luke, while contributing to the motion, said NNPC Limited should be held responsible for the importation of adulterated fuel.
Like, therefore, asked the parliament to take action on the matter to ensure and restore the confidence of Nigerians.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, said the NNPC limited has not done due diligence in its duty as a regulatory agency (sic). Okechukwu added that the parliament had conducted several investigations on the infraction committed by the NNPC limited.
He said, “What we have seen is that this parliament has been hired by NNPC to work for it. So many investigations have been carried out by the parliament.
“The due diligence to import appropriate petroleum products has become a war.”
Okechukwu stressed that Nigerians that have fallen victims to the adulterated products should be compensated, noting that NNPC and its agencies which have not been contributing to the federation account have failed in their purpose.
The motion which was unanimously adopted was put to a voice vote by Idris Wase, Deputy Speaker of the house.
The lawmakers subsequently mandated its “committee on petroleum downstream to ascertain whether the Nigerian specification concerning importation, distribution and dispensing of the alleged toxic petrol in Nigeria from January till date complies with international standards.”
They also asked the committee to “investigate the roles played by the NNPC limited, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian navy, any other government regulatory agencies, limited liabilities companies, and individuals in the unfortunate episode.”