The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) has pledged its commitment towards ensuring the growth of the petroleum industry in the country.
The committee’s chairman, Hon. Henry Odianosen Okojie made this pledge when he led members of the panel on oversight of agencies under its supervision in Lagos.
At the oversight visit to AA Rano in Lagos, Okojie said the exercise was to, among others, check the level of compliance to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by players in the sector to ensure the right thing was done.
The member, representing Esan North East/Esan South East federal constituency of Edo state, also pledged lawmakers’ effective oversight to ensure value addition in the industry.
He said as legislators, they were committed to addressing challenges facing the sector for the good of the nation and expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s policies aimed at developing the Nation’s oil and gas sector.
The lawmaker assured that the committee will provide the needed legislative support geared towards advancing the oil and gas sector, saying the panel was not out to witch-hunt anyone but to ensure the right thing was done by all stakeholders.
“We are here because we need to check the level of compliance stated by the PIA and also to inspect the facilities to be sure that you are doing the right thing and also to find out your area of challenges so that as a committee or as legislators, we can come in to assist you.
“We are not here to witch-hunt, rather we are here to be of help to this industry that is dwindling right now. We understand that there is turbulence. We are aware. Especially with the recent issues surrounding importation and Dangote refineries and so on and so forth.
“We are abreast of what is going on in the industry and we have come to see how we as lawmakers can be of assistance,” he said.