The House of Representatives on Thursday urged Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to maintain local supply and daily distribution of 90 million litres of petrol across the country until normalcy is restored.
The House also asked the minister of petroleum resources to expedite action on the rehabilitation work and upgrading of Nigeria’s refineries at Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna to boost local refining and reduce dependence on imported products.
The resolutions followed the adoption of the report of the committee on petroleum resources (downstream) which investigated the recent importation and distribution of adulterated petrol in Nigeria.
The House further recommended that the minister of state for petroleum resources should initiate the adoption of the 2017 fuel standard (NIS 116:2017) as approved by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) which include testing for methanol in future importation of the product into the country to mitigate reoccurrence.
It said based on NNPC exoneration, the four oil marketers/importers (Duke Oil, MRS Oil and Gas, Oando Oil and Emadeb, Energy/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Britannia-U Consortium) indicted for fuel adulteration did not commit any offence, and therefore, not recommended for suspension.
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Also approved are recommendations that: “the Federal Government should position SON to implement its mandate to the latter by subjecting all imported white petroleum and other products to the offshore conformity assessment and also resume routine quality control of them and other products imported into the country at various seaports, airports and land borders.
This will finally address the reoccurrence of the importation of off-specification petrol and other substandard goods into Nigeria.
“The Federal Government is to note that the SON mandate is also specifically enshrined in item 62 (d) of Part I of the Second Schedule (exclusive legislative List), to the 1999 Constitution.
“The regulatory authority in this case Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) should ensure proper housekeeping by working with Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in ensuring that water is drained regularly from tanks in the tank farms, tankers and underground tanks at the service stations.”
Meanwhile, the House has adjourned plenary to April 26, 2022, to enable the lawmakers proceed on Easter break.
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