House of Reps sacks oil, gas probe panel after pro-NNPCL advert

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) and the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) were the subjects of an ad hoc Joint Committee on Downstream and Midstream investigation by the House of Representatives. However, after some members joined to run advertisements endorsing the oil company, the committee was dismissed.

Under the name "1 AGENDA," 118 members of the House of Representatives published an advertisement in three national newspapers purportedly to defend NNPCL in the abandoned investigation panel.

Nonetheless, a few legislators whose names were featured in the advertisement disassociated themselves from it.  

However, the House of Representatives spokesperson, Rep. Akin Rotimi, announced the Committee's dissolution in a statement on Monday in Abuja, following the controversy surrounding the advertisement. He declared that a newly formed ad hoc committee with the same authority would take the committee's place. Related News: House of Representatives Faults Demands Removal of Farouk, Kyari; Group denounces Agbese for making fake accusations against NMDPRA and NNPCL Why fuel is scarce in Abuja and Lagos - NNPCL

The committee was assigned the responsibility of looking into the importation of tainted petroleum products, the lack of crude oil available for domestic refineries, and other crucial matters pertaining to energy security. According to him, the dissolution was necessary to guarantee the investigation's independence and effectiveness.