Adamu Heads House Panel On Oil Pipeline Contract

ABUJA, July 03, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives, Wednesday, inaugurated a 14-member ad hoc committee to investigate the propriety of contracting the nation’s waterways and oil pipelines to private firms.

The committee is headed by a four-term lawmaker and chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Hon. Bashir Adamu (PDP, Jigawa).

Other members of the committee include the chairman, Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Hon. Dakuku Peterside; Finance Chairman, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin; Interior Chairman, Hon. Umar Bature; and the Chairman, Committee on Marine Transport, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are the Chairman of the Committee on Navy, Hon. Aminu Kolo; House Services Chairman, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Chairman, Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele.

The rest are the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje, Hon. Tijanni Yusuf, Hon. Sekonte Davies, Hon. Eddy Mbadiwe and Hon. Aisha Dahiru.

It will be recalled that the House had on Tuesday ,acting upon a motion brought by Sani Madaki , resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to look into the propriety of contracting the protection of the country's waterways and oil pipelines to private firms among others.

It also mandated the committee to investigate the allegations made by the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Patrick Akpobolekemi, of the involvement of influential people in oil theft and the fact that his organisation has seized ships belonging to the oil thieves and report back to the House within two weeks.

The Federal Government had, in the discharge of its constitutional responsibility, awarded pipeline surveillance contract to protect the nation's waterways so that the theft of crude oil could be stopped..

The House however noted that engaging a private firm to man the nation's waterways has worsen the level of the oil theft thereby making their presence unnecessary.