NASS Resumes From Vacation Today, Opts For Joint Oil Sector Probe

The National Assembly will resume its weeks-long annual vacation today, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, even though it said it will now reactivate its suspended probe of the alleged economic sabotage in the nation’s petroleum sector.

It stated that both chambers of the National Assembly will now carry out the legislative assignment jointly and earnestly.

Recall that the Senate and House of Representatives had separately constituted Ad-hoc Committees to probe alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum sector earlier in July. The House of Representatives later announced the dissolution of its Adhoc Committee. At the same time, the Senate a few days ago also said it was halting the exercise for broader consultation on legislative rules.

However, the Senate leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, revealed that the investigation would now continue and be carried out jointly by the 10th National Assembly.

He noted that the nation’s oil sector was performing below expectations due to crude oil theft, endless turnaround maintenance of public refineries, importation of substandard petroleum products, and disruption of the fuel supply chain, among other challenges. He added that the National Assembly was ready to confront the issues head-on upon resumption from the annual holiday.

Senator Bamidele, the chairman of the ad-hoc committee set up by the Senate for the investigation, stated this in Abuja yesterday in a press statement he personally signed.

According to the statement obtained by LEADERSHIP, the Ekiti Central Senator said: “As we return fully to the parliamentary sessions on Tuesday this week, the National Assembly will, without ambiguity, revisit its decision to decisively address challenges in the petroleum industry.

“The industry is not optimal in its performance. This may not be unconnected to crude oil theft, endless turnaround maintenance of public refineries, importation of substandard petroleum products and fuel supply disruption, among others.

“Contrary to some media reports, the Senate never suspended its Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry but postponed its public hearing due to the need to address issues that border on the Rules of the National Assembly.

“Today, both chambers of the National Assembly will resolve the issues and possibly constitute a joint committee that will continue the investigation from where the ad hoc committee stopped.

“We are committed to unearthing the roots of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry in the national interest and developing institutional mechanisms to make the industry more efficient and functional.”

Meanwhile, speaking on other agenda of the National Assembly, he said both Chambers were expecting new Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) from the Executive arm of government, which are integral parts of annual budget preparation, consideration and approval process.

“The consideration of MTEF occupies a prime place on the rung of our legislative agenda.

“This is simply because MTEF must be ready before the 2025 Appropriation Bill can be laid before the National Assembly.

“We are equally preoccupied with the review of the 1999 Constitution. In the Senate, the Constitution Review Committee is chaired by the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin.

“In the coming weeks, the Committee will hold retreats and strategy sessions, call for memoranda and organise zonal meetings on some sections of our constitution that should be amended.

“Given the pedigrees of all its members, this exercise no doubt promises a truly federative approach that will redefine and reinvent public governance in this country,” the Senate Leader added.