Fuel crisis hardship goes on as Senate invites Kachikwu
Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:22:am National
2.2K By sosa hills
The Senate has ordered the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, to appear before it on Tuesday to explain the unending fuel scarcity across the country.
The summon was issued by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) after carrying out on the spot assessment of fuel crisis in major filling stations within the Abuja metropolis.
Visibly angry at what they met on ground with many filling stations not selling product due to alleged lack of supply from NNPC Depot Suleja, amidst long queues of motorists waiting under the scorching sun, the committee's Acting Chairman, Jibrin Barau along with two of his members, said the
Petroleum Minister must definitely appear before the committee today to explain what led to this situation and way out of it.
He said the situation was so pathetic, compelling the President of the Senate Bukola Saraki to call on the committee members to call off their Easter recess and carry out an on the spot tour of major filling stations in the FCT with a view to finding out the immediate and remote causes of the scarcity.
"This situation is very bad and unacceptable, hence, the need for the Minister to appear before us tomorrow (today), and unveil his plan of the way out to us.
"Even if he doesn't have any plan yet out of the lingering problem, the Senate President and the entire members of the committee are more than ready to rub minds with him for that needed purpose", he said.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Whip and a member of the committee, Senator Philip Aduda, has called on the federal government to arrest the situation fast, by making fuel available to Nigerians, adding that "What Nigerians needed is fuel and not blame game."
According to him, "The government should look for petrol and ensure that it is given to the people, demands are meant for the people , for us, to Nigerians.
" It is unacceptable, we are Nigerians and it will be bad for us to continue remaining in queues. If the APC leaders like, let them blame themselves, that's their problem but the most important thing is for us to have fuel in the federal republic of Nigeria.
"That is what we are looking for and that is what we want. We want to see all these queues disappear."
However, petrol marketers at various stations visited lamented that lack of supply and inadequate supply of petroleum products by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in recent times resulted to product scarcity being witnessed across the country.
Specifically, the manager of Forte Oil, opposite Transcorp Hilton in Maitama District, said while only three fuel tankers are being supplied daily now, it used to be five or six before.
Isa Friday, manager of Oando Filling station, Zone 4, disclosed that it has been long since the station got supply from NNPC depot in Suleja.
NNPC determined to end scarcity
Meanwhile, The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Monday expressed determination to end the on-going shortage of Premuim Motor Spirit (petrol) across the country.
The Corporation in a statement by its Spokesman, Garbadeen Mohammed, in Abuja, reassured Nigerians that NNPC is "on top of the petroleum products supply and distribution situation".
Mohammed said NNPC remains committed to eliminating "this endemic issue once and for all within the next few days".
The statement read: "The current administration inherited a huge catalog of issues and problems in the downstream sector not limited to arrears of subsidy payments to oil marketers, corruption and inefficiencies in the supply and distribution chain, incessant vandalism of pipelines, refineries' poor performance, among others.
"A combination of these issues resulted in most oil majors completely pulling out from the importation business and NNPC assuming a near 100 percent importation obligation without the necessary logistics put in place.
"In line with the change agenda of this administration, NNPC management initiated and made progress on various key solutions to providing a lasting end to these issues.
"The unpaid arrears arising from the subsidy regime had necessitated most oil marketers to stop all forms of involvement in petroleum products imports.
"Thankfully, with the firm support of Mr. President and the National Assembly, we greatly reduced this debt burden and since January, 1st 2016, we have been able to eliminate subsidy payments by managing prices at current levels through price modulation. This has resulted to savings of over 100 billion Naira monthly for the nation.
"Nationwide petroleum supply and distribution have been ramped up to all states to ensure product availability in the country. The current supply to States is in excess of the normal consumption especially in the five major consuming cities.
"Monitoring has been intensified to ensure full compliance with approved prices. Violations of approved prices and hoarding of petroleum products attract penalties".
The corporation which assured Nigerians that the scarcity will end in days, said the measures put in place in the pricing of petrol have saved Nigeria N100 billion since January.
The summon was issued by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) after carrying out on the spot assessment of fuel crisis in major filling stations within the Abuja metropolis.
Visibly angry at what they met on ground with many filling stations not selling product due to alleged lack of supply from NNPC Depot Suleja, amidst long queues of motorists waiting under the scorching sun, the committee's Acting Chairman, Jibrin Barau along with two of his members, said the
Petroleum Minister must definitely appear before the committee today to explain what led to this situation and way out of it.
He said the situation was so pathetic, compelling the President of the Senate Bukola Saraki to call on the committee members to call off their Easter recess and carry out an on the spot tour of major filling stations in the FCT with a view to finding out the immediate and remote causes of the scarcity.
"This situation is very bad and unacceptable, hence, the need for the Minister to appear before us tomorrow (today), and unveil his plan of the way out to us.
"Even if he doesn't have any plan yet out of the lingering problem, the Senate President and the entire members of the committee are more than ready to rub minds with him for that needed purpose", he said.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Whip and a member of the committee, Senator Philip Aduda, has called on the federal government to arrest the situation fast, by making fuel available to Nigerians, adding that "What Nigerians needed is fuel and not blame game."
According to him, "The government should look for petrol and ensure that it is given to the people, demands are meant for the people , for us, to Nigerians.
" It is unacceptable, we are Nigerians and it will be bad for us to continue remaining in queues. If the APC leaders like, let them blame themselves, that's their problem but the most important thing is for us to have fuel in the federal republic of Nigeria.
"That is what we are looking for and that is what we want. We want to see all these queues disappear."
However, petrol marketers at various stations visited lamented that lack of supply and inadequate supply of petroleum products by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in recent times resulted to product scarcity being witnessed across the country.
Specifically, the manager of Forte Oil, opposite Transcorp Hilton in Maitama District, said while only three fuel tankers are being supplied daily now, it used to be five or six before.
Isa Friday, manager of Oando Filling station, Zone 4, disclosed that it has been long since the station got supply from NNPC depot in Suleja.
NNPC determined to end scarcity
Meanwhile, The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Monday expressed determination to end the on-going shortage of Premuim Motor Spirit (petrol) across the country.
The Corporation in a statement by its Spokesman, Garbadeen Mohammed, in Abuja, reassured Nigerians that NNPC is "on top of the petroleum products supply and distribution situation".
Mohammed said NNPC remains committed to eliminating "this endemic issue once and for all within the next few days".
The statement read: "The current administration inherited a huge catalog of issues and problems in the downstream sector not limited to arrears of subsidy payments to oil marketers, corruption and inefficiencies in the supply and distribution chain, incessant vandalism of pipelines, refineries' poor performance, among others.
"A combination of these issues resulted in most oil majors completely pulling out from the importation business and NNPC assuming a near 100 percent importation obligation without the necessary logistics put in place.
"In line with the change agenda of this administration, NNPC management initiated and made progress on various key solutions to providing a lasting end to these issues.
"The unpaid arrears arising from the subsidy regime had necessitated most oil marketers to stop all forms of involvement in petroleum products imports.
"Thankfully, with the firm support of Mr. President and the National Assembly, we greatly reduced this debt burden and since January, 1st 2016, we have been able to eliminate subsidy payments by managing prices at current levels through price modulation. This has resulted to savings of over 100 billion Naira monthly for the nation.
"Nationwide petroleum supply and distribution have been ramped up to all states to ensure product availability in the country. The current supply to States is in excess of the normal consumption especially in the five major consuming cities.
"Monitoring has been intensified to ensure full compliance with approved prices. Violations of approved prices and hoarding of petroleum products attract penalties".
The corporation which assured Nigerians that the scarcity will end in days, said the measures put in place in the pricing of petrol have saved Nigeria N100 billion since January.
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