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

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

It, however, said the legislative assignment will now be carried out jointly in earnest by both chambers of the National Assembly.

Recall that both 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, while the Senate a few days ago also said it was halting the exercise for wider consultation bothering on legislative rules.

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

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

Senator Bamidele, who is the chairman of the Ad-hoc committee set up by the Senate for the investigation, stated this in Abuja on Monday in a press statement personally signed by him.

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 turn around maintenance of public refineries, importation of substandard petroleum products and disruption of fuel supply, 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 with 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 that will 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 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.