Public hearing on alleged economic sabotage in the oil sector fixed for Tuesday this week, has been postponed, said Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Ad-hoc committee mandated for the exercise by the Senate .
Senator Bamidele who doubles as the Leader of the Senate in a statement issued from his media office on Sunday, cited need for wider consultations with critical stakeholders in the sector and legislative exigencies as reasons for the postponement of the exercise.
Bamidele in the statement , said the decision of the ad-hoc committee to postpone the investigative hearing, followed due consultation with all its members and key actors in the petroleum industry.
He further noted that the ad-hoc committee would communicate a new date for the conduct of the investigative hearing to all the stakeholders in due course.
He added that deferment of the very important investigative public hearing was taken in the best interest of the federation and its teeming population.
“Postponement of the very important national assignment given us by the Senate , became imperative considering the compelling need “to consult more widely with expanded stakeholders within and without the petroleum industry and legislative exigencies to further deepen due diligence in the conduct of the investigative hearing .
“While we deeply regret all inconveniences it may have caused all the stakeholders collectively or individually, this decision was taken purely and solely in the national interest.
“Also, the prevailing realities in the country, demanding urgent interventions of nearly all the stakeholders in the public and private sectors across 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory informed the resolve for the postponement”, he daid.
He therefore, assured all the stakeholders that a new date for the public hearing would be communicated to them in due course.
The senate had set up the ad-hoc committee to investigate billions spent on maintaining the nation’s refineries; beam searchlight on the regulatory agencies over payment to transporters and unravel alleged importation of hazardous petroleum products and dumping of substandard diesel into the country.
The ad-hoc committee had concluded its pre-investigation undertakings and held an interactive session with the heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as some private interests in the downstream and midstream petroleum sector.
After the exhaustive engagement with select MDAs and private oil firms, the ad-hoc committee had subsequently scheduled its investigative hearing for Tuesday, 10th to Thursday, 12th September 2024 which is now postponed .
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