Reps begin probe of actual daily consumption of PMS

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee that will ascertain the actual daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria, sequel to the prevailing fuel scarcity across the country.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon Abubakar Hassan Fulata, expressed concern over the multi-trillion naira being spent on fuel subsidy.

Recall that the House via a resolution passed on March 25, 2021, resolved to investigate about $25 billion on turnaround maintenance of the refineries over the past 25 years, as well as additional sum of $1.5 billion (about N575 billion) allegedly for rehabilitation work on the 32-year-old Port Harcourt Refinery.

The lawmakers observed that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) NNPC audit report in the previous year revealed that three of the nation’s four refineries recorded N1.64 trillion cumulative loss in their 2014 to 2018 details.

According to them, despite processing no crude oil in June last year, the three refineries still cost the country N10.23 billion in expenses.

In his lead debate on Thursday, Hon Fulata who called for the House intervention expressed grave concern over the fuel scarcity as well as the return of queues at the filling stations across the country.

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“The House notes the concerns of Nigerians over the re-occurring incidence of fuel scarcity.

“The House is concerned about the huge sums of money being paid as subsidies and the controversies it has been generating.

“The House is worried that it may not be possible to ascertain the actual sums of subsidy required and being paid without accurate data of the daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit in Nigeria.

“The House acknowledges that when such data is generated, it will enhance effective planning, supply and distribution of the said product to Nigerians,” he noted.

To this end, the House mandated the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the actual daily consumption of premium motor spirit in Nigeria and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.

Also at plenary, the House set up another Ad-hoc Committee that will prove the actual cost of rehabilitation of all the public-owned refineries.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon Fulata who decried the non-functionality and deplorable state of the nation’s refineries.

In his lead debate, Hon Fulata observed that several billions of dollars of taxpayer’s money have been expended on the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) and rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries without any productive outcome.

“The House observes that past government efforts have been sabotaged by variation costs from partners or lack of proper project costing and analysis.

“The House is cognizant of the government’s intention to commence another phase of rehabilitation of the refineries and if proper steps are not taken, the country may be plunged into repeating past mistakes,” he noted.

To this end, the House mandated the Ad-hoc Committee to ascertain the actual cost of rehabilitating the Nigerian refineries and report back within six weeks for further legislative action.

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Kehinde Akintola