The House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals Development has asked the Minister of Mines and Streel Development Mr Olamilekan Adegbite and the National Security Adviser Major-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) to immediately stop the licensing of sale of explosive devices to oil servicing companies operating in Nigeria.
Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Micheal Enyong gave the directive in a ruling after an investigative hearing of the Committee which is probing the licensing and sale of explosive devices by chief executives of some oil servicing companies in Nigeria.
He asked that the Committee Clerk and its 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, licensing and sale of explosive devices to end users in compliance to Explosives Act 2013 enacted by the apex parliament the National Assembly.
He said the there is need for individuals and corporate entities to comply with the provisions of the law on explosive usage
The lawmaker and other committee members after taking the memorandum submitted by AOS Orwell limited, Halliburton Limited and Enver Nigeria Limited said that that they are flouting the companies permits on their sale of explosives.
Basically the Act provides that anyone or company working or dealing with explosive should get licence or permit issued by the Ministry in charge of natural resources in the country.
Some of these companies CEOs grilled by the House Committee however said that they complied with the provisions of the law on the sale and usage of explosives.
The Managing Director of AOS Orwell Mr Femi Omotosho had told the lawmakers that his company is careful in handling explosives.
He also said that the major operations of the company is onshore and submitted the list of end users of the explosives to the committee.
Other companies who failed to turn up for the iinvestigation by the Committee include Baker Hughes Ltd, Drilling Technologies Ltd, Geoplex Drilling Limited, Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Ltd
and Slarabare Oil Ltd.
On the absence of the other invited companies, the Comittee Chairman said the Secretariat will write to them to appear unfailingly within one week after which they would be summoned to appear.
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