Buhari raises committee on supply of petroleum products

Buhari raises committee on supply of petroleum products

President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted a 14-man Steering Committee to find a lasting solution to the disruptions in the supply and distribution of petroleum products in the country.

He is to personally chair the committee, according to a statement by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva issued in Abuja.

The Senior Adviser (Media & Communications) to the Minister, Mr. Horatius Egua, who issued the statement said the committee has Syva as the alternate chairman.

The Steering Committee, which has Sylva as Alternate Chairman is expected to among other things ensure transparent and efficient supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country.

Other terms of reference are to ensure national strategic stock management, visibility on the NNPC Limited refineries rehabilitation programme and ensure end-end tracking of petroleum products, especial PMS to ascertain daily national consumption and eliminate smuggling.

To further ensure sanity in the supply and distribution across the value chain, Sylva has directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to ensure strict compliance with the government-approved ex-depot and retail prices for PMS.

The Minister further directed the NMDPRA to ensure that NNPC Limited, which is the supplier of last resort meets the domestic supply obligation of PMS and other petroleum products in the country.

He further directed that the interests of the ordinary Nigerian is protected from price exploitation on other deregulated products such as AGO and DPK and LPG.

The Federal Government will not allow misguided elements to bring untold hardship upon the citizenry and attempt to discredit the government’s efforts in consolidating the gains made thus far in the oil and gas sector of the economy.

Other members of the committee are the Minister of Finance, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, National Economic Adviser to the President, Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Member

(EFCC), and Commandant-General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)

Others who made up the Steering Committee are the Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Member Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), G r o u p Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Special Advisor (Special Duties) to the HMSPR while the Technical Advisor (Midstream) to the HMSPR will serve as Secretary.