By Our Reporter
The Senate on Wednesday raised the alarm over the influx of substandard Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), or diesel, into the Nigerian market.
Addressing a matter of urgent national importance, Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong noted that a report on June 16, 2024, revealed 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 said the quality of this diesel did not meet Nigerian standards regarding flash and sulfur levels.
Ekpeyong said despite the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) recently revising diesel importation standards in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, the authority has been unable 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 also criticized the NMDPRA for continuing to issue import licenses for diesel and jet fuel despite sufficient local production capacity.
Expressing anger over what they described as sabotage and a clear failure of the Petroleum Industry Act’s objectives, the lawmakers asserted that those found guilty of these illicit activities must face legal consequences.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio supported the views of other lawmakers, stating that the issues raised within the PIA should be reviewed not as an act of witch-hunting but to set the records straight.
The ad-hoc committee, chaired by the Senate leader, has been given three weeks to report back to the House