The Senate has raised an ad hoc committee to investigate all the contracts awarded for the rehabilitation of all state-owned refineries said to have gulped 11.35 trillion naira in 13 years.

It also mandated the panel to interrogate the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Bureau of Public Enterprises on the best approach to commercialise state-owned refineries.

The resolutions followed a motion by Senator SUNDAY KARIMI during plenary.

Senator KARIMI, in his motion, expressed concern that the state-owned refineries have been serious drainpipes of public finance, depriving citizens of the joy of being an oil-producing nation.

Senators, in their various contributions, said the country could not continue to spend money on an unproductive venture and urged the relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for the state of the refineries are sanctioned.

The Deputy Senate President, JIBRIN BARAU who presided over the plenary, named Senator ISAH ECHOCHO as the chairman of the committee.

Other members are chairmen of the Committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream, Upstream and Gas), Finance, Appropriation, and Public Accounts.

They are expected to submit their report within four weeks.