The Senate has postponed a highly anticipated public hearing aimed at probing alleged sabotage within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
The delay comes amid an ongoing crisis in the industry, fueling concerns over accountability.
Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, announced the postponement in a statement issued on Sunday.
Initially scheduled for September 10 to 12, 2024, the hearing was set to feature key players in the oil and gas sector, including Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, representatives from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dangote Refinery, and the Nigeria Ports Authority.
The Senate clarified that the hearing was postponed to allow for more extensive consultations with a broader range of stakeholders, both within and outside the petroleum industry, to ensure a comprehensive investigation.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this decision may cause the stakeholders, whether collectively or individually. The decision is based solely on national interest,” the Senate’s statement read.
The postponement comes at a critical time, as tensions rise over NNPCL’s recent increase in petrol prices, a move that has been met with strong opposition from the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and other groups, all calling for an immediate reversal.
