Reps begin probe of actual daily consumption of PMS

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee that will ascertain the actual daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria, sequel to the prevailing fuel scarcity across the country.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon Abubakar Hassan Fulata, expressed concern over the multi-trillion naira being spent on fuel subsidy.

Recall that the House via a resolution passed on March 25, 2021, resolved to investigate about $25 billion on turnaround maintenance of the refineries over the past 25 years, as well as additional sum of $1.5 billion (about N575 billion) allegedly for rehabilitation work on the 32-year-old Port Harcourt Refinery.

The lawmakers observed that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) NNPC audit report in the previous year revealed that three of the nation’s four refineries recorded N1.64 trillion cumulative loss in their 2014 to 2018 details.

According to them, despite processing no crude oil in June last year, the three refineries still cost the country N10.23 billion in expenses.

In his lead debate on Thursday, Hon Fulata who called for the House intervention expressed grave concern over the fuel scarcity as well as the return of queues at the filling stations across the country.