The Senate has raised concerns over the influx of substandard Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) in the Nigerian market.
Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, addressing a matter of urgent national importance, noted that on June 16, 2024, a report indicated that 12 diesel cargoes, totaling 660 kilotons, were exported by refineries to offshore Lome, Togo, for further distribution to West African markets, primarily Nigeria.
He stated that the quality of this diesel did not meet Nigerian standards, particularly in terms of flash point and sulfur levels.
Ekpeyong revealed that despite the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) recently updating diesel importation standards in line with the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, it has failed to enforce these standards.
In response, the Senate established an ad-hoc committee to investigate the ongoing importation of hazardous petroleum products and the dumping of substandard diesel in Nigeria.
Ekpeyong emphasized that the NMDPRA continues to issue import licenses for diesel and jet fuel, despite sufficient local production capacity.
Lawmakers expressed outrage, describing the situation as sabotage and a clear failure of the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The Senate declared that those responsible for this illicit activity must be held accountable.
Additionally, Senate President Godswill Akpabio supported calls from other lawmakers to review the issues raised within the Petroleum Industry Act, not as a witch-hunt, but to clarify and rectify the situation.
The ad-hoc committee, chaired by the Senate leader, has been given three weeks to report back to the Senate.
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