Reps constitute adhoc panel on fuel price increase

The House of Representatives has constituted an adhoc committee to investigate the increase in fuel price which will be headed by Rep. Babajimi Benson of All Progressive Congress, APC, from Lagos State.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia), who presided over Thursday’s plenary, announced at the commencement of the sitting.

According to the House, the setting up of the committee followed the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol.

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NRTC learned that the House on Wednesday resolved to set up the ad-hoc committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the increment in the pump price of PMS from N537 to N617.

The adhoc committee is expected to carry out a holistic investigation into the matter.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo).

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Moving the motion, Hon. Ugochinyere had while moving the motion said Section 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution empowers the National Assembly to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly.

He said that Section 32 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, saddles the Petroleum Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority with the task of regulating and monitoring technical and commercial midstream and downstream petroleum operations in Nigeria.

In the same vein, an adhoc committee to investigate alleged aviation adulterated was set up and to be chaired by the Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Aliyu Sani Madaki (NNPP, Kano).