Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, a PDP senator representing Abia South in the senate today asked that the House summon President Buhari who is also the Minister of Petroleum resources to explain to the house why there’s fuel scarcity in the country presently.
Abaribe said that since Buhari is the Minister in charge of Nigeria’s Petroleum resources, h1e should be made to answer all questions bothering on that sector.
President Buhari and the state Minister for Petroleum resources Ibe Kachiukwu are currently in Iran attending the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum (GECF). They are however expected back to the country today November 24th.
Discussion at the Senate Meeting.
The Nigerian Senate discussed the
prevalent situation of fuel scarcity in various parts of the country during plenary session on Tuesday, November 24.
Moving the first motion of the day, Senator Barau Jibrin, representing Kano North, addressed the need to urgently resolve the fuel scarcity crisis across that’s threatening to cripple commercial activities.
Jibrin lamented the fact that the scarcity of PMS products is forcing Nigerians to pay a lot more for petrol.
Apparently affected by the fuel scarcity situation, 23 Senators readily co-sponsored the motion. Senator Adamu Aliero, who spoke on the fuel scarcity motion said movement around town has been extremely difficult, as petrol is either too expensive or nearly impossible to purchase.
Senator representing Bayelsa Central, Emmanuel Paulker, while speaking, said there’s something wrong in the petroleum supply chain, adding that the Petroleum
Minister, President Buhari, should be invited to tell the Senate and Nigerians the factors responsible for the scarcity.
Agreeing with Senator Paulker was Senator Shehu Sani, who however, said the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, should be invited.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South, attempted to politicize the matter, stating that the present government promised and ‘change has
come but there is no change’.
‘Where is the change’ he added.
Abaribe said if there was change, there wouldn’t be queues still as well as the existence of petroleum subsidy payment.
The comments of senator Abaribe led Senator Ibrahim Gaya to raise a point of order that Senator Abaribe has added improper motives into the motion on fuel scarcity, to which Senate President, Bukola Saraki,
responded, saying the scarcity affects all Nigerians, hence it shouldn’t be takes as a
partisan issue.
After Dino Melaye had been allowed to have his say on the matter, it was concluded by the Senate that the Committee on Petroleum Downstream should examine the current fuel scarcity issues and submit its report in two
weeks.
