The House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals has asked the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, and the National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), to immediately stop the licencing of the sale of explosive devices to oil servicing companies operating in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the House Committee, Micheal Enyong, gave the directive in a ruling after an investigative hearing of the Committee which is probing the licencing and sale of explosive devices by Chief Executives Officers of some oil servicing companies in Nigeria.
He asked the Committee Clerk and the secretariat to convey the ruling of the Committee on the matter to the relevant agencies in a correspondence.
He said that the Committee hearing is on general compliance of these companies to the permits, licencing, and sale of explosive devices to end-users in compliance with the Explosives Act 2013 enacted by the National Assembly.
He also explained that there is a need for individuals and corporate entities to comply with the provisions of the law on explosive usage especially now that Nigeria is battling with various security challenges.
The lawmaker and other committee members after taking the memorandum submitted by AOS Orwell Limited, Halliburton Limited, and Enver Nigeria Limited, said that they are flouting the companies’ permits on their sale of explosives.
Basically, the Act provides that anyone or company working or dealing with explosives should get licence or permit issued by the Ministry in charge of natural resources in the country.
Some of these companies’ Chief Executives Officers grilled by the House Committee, however, said they complied with the provisions of the law on the sale and usage of explosives.
The Managing Director of AOS Orwell, Femi Omotosho, had told the lawmakers that his company is careful in handling explosives.
Other companies who failed to turn up for the investigation by the Committee include Baker Hughes Ltd, Drilling Technologies Ltd, Geoplex Drilling Limited, Sterling Oil Exploration, and Energy Production Company Ltd.
In the absence of the other invited companies, the Committee Chairman asked the secretariat to write them to appear unfailingly within one week after which they would be summoned if they fail.