THE House of Representatives has demanded the suspension of companies that imported contaminated fuel into the country.
This followed a motion moved by the Chief Whip Mohammed Mongunu during plenary on Thursday.
While directing the immediate suspension of the four companies indicted in purchasing and supplying the commodity, the lawmakers also asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to submit the deeds of purchase to the House for scrutiny.
It also mandated its Committee on Downstream Petroleum to ascertain the details of purchases of petroleum products made from January to date to ascertain whether they met the international standards.
The Committee will also investigate the roles played by the NNPC Limited, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Navy and all other regulatory agencies in the petroleum sector in supplying the deadly product.
Four companies have been fingered in the importation of the deadly product to the country.
According to the NNPC, on Wednesday, the companies are MRS, Emadeb, Oando and Duke Oil.
NNPC Group Managing Director Mele Kyari said the adulterated fuel was imported from Antwerp in Belgium.
The GMD said the NNPC first got report on the presence of emulsion particles in cargoes shipped to Nigeria on January 20.
He noted that cargo quality certificates issued at load port (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium showed the gasoline complied with Nigerian specification.
NNPC quality inspectors, including GMO, SGS, GeoChem and G&G also conducted tests before discharge.
He explained further that cargoes were equally certified by inspection agents appointed by the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
Kyari said the NNPC had ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit.
He stressed further that defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions, while the state oil company and relevant agencies will take further actions in line with subsisting regulations.
However, MRS, in a statement, denied importing the substandard PMS.
It noted that the importation of fuel into Nigeria was solely the responsibility of Duke Oil on behalf of NNPC, and the contaminated fuel was distributed to various retailing companies across the country.
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