Abdul-Rahman Abubakar and Turaki A. Hassan
4 November 2009
Abuja — The Senate yesterday resolved to summon all stakeholders in the oil sector to brief it on the matter in a move to avert any possible crisis that could result from the imminent deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector.
Briefing newsmen shortly after a close session, Chairman Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze said the Senate decided to invite Petroleum Minister, Rilwanu Lukman, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mohammed Barkindo, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Petroleum Product Price Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and major oil marketers in the country so that it can take an informed decision on all the issues.
"We cannot wait and watch our people sleep in queues, and we are mindful of what has happened in the past and we are not going to allow that kind of situation to happen again."
He expressed Senate's disappointment over the current fuel scarcity in the country saying "We know that there was a time when people use to spend two to three nights waiting to get petroleum products. We had assurances that we have 40 days fuel sufficiency supply, but we are going to invite all the parties including labour to come and educate Nigerians what the problems are and then we can apply all the legislative therapy to resolve the problem once and for all."
Meanwhile, the Senate is set to relocate to Enugu next week for its annual retreat.
The Senate spokesman said this year's week-long retreat has the theme; "Legislating for an Enduring Electoral System in Nigeria" adding that "It is a reflection of the desire of the Senators to ensure the amendment of the constitution and to ensure a rejigging of the Electoral Act to give our people an enduring electoral system."
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