KEY POINTS
- Lawmakers postponed a probe into Tinubu’s oil revenue directive after the petroleum minister requested more preparation time.
- The minister said he received late notice and lacked key documents needed to respond properly.
- A new hearing date will be announced as government reviews wider oil sector reforms.
A joint investigative hearing by lawmakers into the recent oil revenue directive issued by Bola Tinubu was postponed after the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, requested more time to prepare his response.
The session was organised by joint committees on petroleum resources and gas from the Senate and the House of Representatives. Lawmakers planned to examine how the president’s directive ordering direct remittance of oil and gas revenues into the Federation Account could affect the energy sector and the country’s financial system.
Senior officials who attended included Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Group CEO Bayo Ojulari and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission chief executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, along with other top industry representatives.
Lokpobiri Says he Needs Time to Review Key Documents
Shortly after proceedings began, Lokpobiri told lawmakers he had received notice of the hearing only a day earlier. He said he still needed time to review key documents linked to the executive order and could not properly address the issues without them. He explained that he attended out of respect for the legislature but had not yet accessed critical materials required to present a full briefing.
The request was put to a voice vote by committee co-chairman Agom Jarigbe, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Gas. Most lawmakers supported the request, leading to an adjournment. Jarigbe said a new date for the continuation of the probe would be announced later.
The delay comes as discussions continue across government about fiscal reforms and policy changes in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
