The Senate has rejected recommendation made by its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) should pay Tanzila Petroleum Company Limited , $14m subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) allegedly imported into the country .
Officials of Tanzila Petroleum Company had in October last year petitioned the Senate on alleged non-payment of $14m worth subsidy on PMS it imported into the country in 2015 .
Consequently, the Senate mandated its committee on Ethics to engage officials of both firms on the veracity of the petition.
The committee, in the report presented by its Chairman, Senator Sam Anyanwu ( PDP Imo East), to the Senate, upheld Tanzila’s petition by recommending payment of $14m to it by PPPRA as subsidy for alleged contractual agreement it had with it on PMS imported in 2015.
But the Senate rejected the recommendation on the grounds that Tanzila Oil Company has the means of seeking redress in the court of law on such contractual breach.
The Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan ( APC Yobe North), who called for rejection of the recommendation, argued that petitions from from well established and financilly buoyant agencies like Tanzila oil company, are not the ones meant for consideration by the Senate through its Ethics Committee, but from poor Nigerians who do not have the means of seeking redress in the court of law .
“Ordinarily, people who cannot afford to go to court, are the ones expected to approach the Senate or the House of Representatives on any injustice they felt have been committed against them and not oil firm like Tanzila that has the means of seeking redress in the court of law .
” The Senate is not a court of law that should be ordering a firm to pay another public firm alleged contractual sum of $14m because if such payment is not effected by the affected firm, what power of coercion would the senate use”, he said .
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, according to ordered the committee chairman to withdraw the report since the petitioner had the means of seeking judicial redress.
