The Senate plenary on Tuesday witnessed a heated exchange between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) over the status of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had announced last week that the Port Harcourt refinery had commenced operations.
However, the claim has sparked controversy, with industry stakeholders and many Nigerians disputing the refinery’s operational status.
During a debate on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), Senator Wadada raised concerns, highlighting “technicalities in the operations of the Port Harcourt refinery” and calling for the Senate’s intervention to uncover the truth.
Akpabio responded by stating that the Senate would constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter, adding, “The government has already been commended for the kick-off of the refinery. If you have concerns, they should be presented in form of a motion during plenary, not as a social media presentation.”
The remark did not sit well with Wadada, who retorted, “With due respect, don’t associate me with the issue of social media.”
The visibly angry Nasarawa Senator revealed that he had previously submitted a written concern to Akpabio three months ago regarding revenue tax issues, but the Senate President had not acted on it.
In his reply, Akpabio said he had reviewed the document and reiterated his earlier advice, stating, “Present your concerns as a motion during plenary so they can be addressed formally.”
The Senate President also assured that the ad hoc committee to probe the operational status of the Port Harcourt refinery would be constituted during an executive session.
