The Senate has reconstituted its ad hoc committee to investigate alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian petroleum industry.

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau announced this on Thursday while presiding over the plenary.

Mr Barau made the announcement after the leader of the Senate/chairman of the ad hoc committee, Opeyemi Bamidele, sponsored a motion on the need for the two chambers to jointly conduct the oil probe.

The upper chamber communicated the decision to reconstitute to the House of Representatives to conduct a more holistic investigation that would sanitise the petroleum industry.

In his motion, Mr Bamidele observed that the House of Representatives had debated the same subject and constituted its ad hoc committee to investigate it.

He stressed the need for the committees of the two chambers to work together to avoid duplication in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

Mr Bamidele called for the reconstitution of the committee to be named  “National Assembly Joint Ad hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry.”

After Mr Bamidele’s presentation, the Senate recaptioned the title to “National Assembly Joint Ad hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry.”

The upper chamber also resolved “to communicate its decision to the House of Representatives to constitute the equal number of an ad-hoc committee that will be working with the Senate.”

While Mr Bamidele will still chair the National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage, its members include Senators Ekpenyong, Yahaya Abdullahi, Mohammed Monguno and Solomon Olamilekan.

Other members are Senators Diket Plang, Ipalibo Banigo, Khabeeb Mustapha, Adams Oshiomhole, Williams Jonah, Adetokunbo Abiru, Osita Izunaso, Sahabi Ya’u, Abdul Ningi and Suleiman Kawu.

On Wednesday, July 3, the Senate debated a motion on the urgent need to investigate the importation of hazardous petroleum products and dumping of substandard diesel into Nigeria, moved by Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River).

The Senate had on Thursday, July 11, recaptioned the title of the committee to Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry.

After holding meetings with key stakeholders in the petroleum sector, Mr Bamidele’s committee put its activities on hold by conducting a joint session with the lower chamber and providing workable antidotes to various challenges in the industry.

(NAN)