The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, expanded the scope of its ongoing investigation of the crisis caused by the importation of off-standard Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, asking its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to investigate why long queues still persist at the filling stations.

Specifically, the House is to probe the claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that there is sufficient reserve of standard PMS to ease the tension caused by the adulterated supply.

The Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, had raised a point of order to decry the hardships caused by shortage of fuel in the Abuja metropolis.

Elumelu said, “I wanted to come under Order 8 Rules 4 and 7 for us to discuss this issue of lingering fuel crisis in Nigeria. I agree that the NNPC said they had enough but it (the situation) does not seem to tally with their submission that they have enough fuel. There are still some lingering fuel crises in the whole of Nigeria.

“Today, it was even difficult for me to get here because all the roads are totally blocked by those wanting to get fuel, and there is no fuel. There is already an existing committee saddled with the responsibility of investigating the issue of adulterated fuel.

“So, I was thinking if we can take it and refer it to them as the House deems fit. We should find out whether there is an interim report to that effect, with the assignment that the House has given to that committee to do.”

Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, who upheld Elumelu’s order, asked the committee to also probe into NNPC’s claim and the lingering supply shortage.

Gbajabiamila said, “There is a connection or nexus between that motion of last week on contaminated fuel and what you have rightly brought up – the observation of the long queues. So, the standing Committee on Downstream Petroleum should please take note and expedite their investigation of this lingering crisis.”

Tempers had frayed in the House on Thursday over the recent importation of adulterated PMS into Nigeria, which is now causing a crisis across the country.

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Several members of the House who spoke on the development called for sanctions against Federal Government agencies and officials who failed to carry out due diligence before passing the product for onward distribution to marketers.

The House consequently resolved to investigate the matter, insisting that those in the import and distribution chain whose action or inaction led to the spread of the commodity must be held accountable.

The Majority Whip, Mohammed Monguno, had moved a motion of urgent public importance, titled ‘Need to Investigate the Release and Sale of Adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Petrol Stations Across Nigeria.’

Adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to “investigate the release of adulterated PMS across the country, with a view to ensuring that culprits are brought to book as well as make recommendations towards curbing a reoccurrence of such incident.”

The House also asked the committee to “ascertain whether the Nigerian specification concerning importation, distribution and dispensing of the alleged toxic petrol in Nigeria, from January till date, complies with international standards.”

Also, the lawmakers further asked the committee to “investigate the roles played by NNPC Limited, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Navy, any other government regulatory agencies, limited liabilities companies and individuals in the unfortunate episode.”

Furthermore, the House asked NNPC Limited to suspend the four companies involved in the importation of the adulterated PMS.

PUNCH.