The House of Representatives through its Joint Petroleum Committee has launched an investigation into claims of adulterated or substandard petroleum products being produced or imported into Nigeria.

The inquiry will also examine the availability of crude oil for domestic refineries and potential threats to Nigeria’s energy security.

Chaired by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (Downstream) and Hon. Henry Okojie (Midstream), the committee held its inaugural meeting, which was declared open by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

Kalu charged the committee to uphold transparency, fairness, justice, and professionalism in their investigation.

The committee has begun receiving submissions and hearing from stakeholders, including refinery operators, importers, producers, and marketers of petroleum products. They will investigate allegations of local production and importation of substandard petroleum products, as well as the critical issue of crude oil non-availability to refineries.

The committee plans to conduct laboratory investigations, visit filling stations and importers’ depots, and collect samples for analysis. They will also hire an internationally certified lab to conduct live testing of all imported and locally produced products.

Letters of invitation have been sent to key stakeholders, including the Minister for Petroleum, NNPCL management, and industry operators.

“The committee affirmed that apart from finding a final solution to the alleged embarrassing issue of non-availability of crude supply to domestic refiners both modular and big refiners, the findings will stretch to crude produced and the quantity that ought to go to local refiners and the reasons for falling short, the impact of crude forward sales on availability of crude to domestic refiners and other issues,” the committee said.

Reports have it that there is a dispute between the Dangote Group and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) regarding the quality of diesel fuel in Nigeria.