The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) has stepped in to halt a renewed wave of tension in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, following public concerns, allegations and counter-claims involving the Dangote Refinery leadership and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The Joint Committee summoned the parties to present the grievances, allegations before it for immediate resolution while ordering that parties to the crisis cease all media hostilities pending the outcome of the committee investigation which is going to be swift and out in days.

The Committees led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Hon. Henry Okogie disclosed this after an emergency meeting of the committee convened in response to what they described as “growing tension” capable of undermining the fragile stability recently achieved in the sector with concerns being raised by different stakeholders.

According to Ugochinyere, the committees were compelled to act swiftly to prevent further escalation, especially at a time when government and industry stakeholders are working to stabilise supply, pricing and regulation in the post-subsidy era.

“The key issue that necessitated this emergency meeting was the growing tension that has returned to the downstream sector as a result of concerns and allegations raised by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA,” Ugochinyere said.

He added: “This is coming at a time when the committee is jealously guarding the stability that has been achieved in the sector.”

He said the committee resolved to formally invite both the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the leadership of the NMDPRA to appear before it and provide detailed explanations on the issues fuelling the dispute so that the committees can come out with the needed decisions and resolutions that will resolve the matter.

The lawmaker explained that only a clear understanding of the underlying problems would enable the National Assembly to broker lasting solutions without fear or favour.

“We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues leading to this tension. That is why the committee resolved to write to Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the NMDPRA chief to meet with us and give insights into what is driving these allegations and counter-allegations,” he said.

In a firm move to calm the situation, the committee also appealed to both parties to halt public exchanges and media comments while legislative intervention is ongoing.

“We resolved to plead with the contending parties to cease fire, especially media comments, so that the situation does not escalate further,” Ugochinyere noted.

Ugochiyere said, “The committee has the capacity to wade into this matter and find solutions once and for all.”

He revealed that the committee has already received petitions touching on critical industry concerns, including the issuance of import licences and questions around whether domestic refineries have the capacity to meet Nigeria’s daily petroleum needs.

“These are serious issues. Some relate to import licences, others to whether local refineries can produce enough to satisfy national demand which the investigation undertaken by the committee will resolve” he said.

Ugochinyere stressed that all outstanding matters would be thoroughly examined when key stakeholders in the refining and regulatory space appear before the committee.

“By the time Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the NMDPRA and other stakeholders meet with the committee, we will get the real gist of what is happening and come up with resolutions that provide sustainable solutions for the sector,” he assured.

Reiterating the committee’s appeal, the chairman urged all parties to suspend further accusations while the House works to resolve the dispute in the national interest.

“We are pleading with them to cease further attacks on each other, whether from the regulatory agency or the refining community, while the committee sorts out these issues,” he said.

Ugochinyere said the decisions announced reflected the unanimous outcome of the committee’s closed-door deliberations, a position he said was affirmed by his colleagues.

The intervention comes amid heightened public scrutiny of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry, particularly as expectations remain high around local refining capacity, regulatory clarity and stable fuel supply.

The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on Sunday accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of corruption, alleging that he spent $5 million on secondary school education for his children in Switzerland.

Dangote made the allegation during a media briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant, Lekki, Lagos, describing the alleged expenditure as inconsistent with a public servant’s income and a threat to public trust in regulatory institutions.

Dangote said the alleged payment covered six years of secondary education for four children, an amount he argued could not reasonably be explained by earnings from public service.

The NMDPRA had yet to issue a statement in response to Dangote’s claim, but the businessman said taxpayers deserved accountability and questioned why a public official could afford to spend millions of dollars on his children’s foreign education if public funds were being properly used (Channels TV)

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