Cosmas Ekpunobi
4 November 2009
SENATE yesterday resolved to intervene in planned nationawide shutdown by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the deregulation policy of Federal Government summoning Petroleum minister, Alhaji Rilwan Lukman, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mohammed Bakindo and President of the NLC, Mr. Abdulwahid Omar for crucial talks.
Others expected at the meeting which will focus on how to handle outcome of the implementation of the deregulation police include leadership of the Petroleum products Pricing Regulation Agency (PPPRA) which staff had begun a work-to-rule in protest over unfriendly working environment.
The summons followed the Upper House concern over the fast spreading fuel scarcity.
The Upper House at the closed session also resolved to work out what it called "legislative therapy to resolve the problem once and for all."
Though the senate did not give any specific time when the minister and others will appear before, its spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze at a briefing yesterday said that such important meeting may take place any moment.
Although the senate had earlier given its blessing to the planned deregulation, Senator Eze yesterday however said that senate was aware that the policy was beginning to bite hard on the people even when government said it was yet to flag off the program.
According to him, "the minister, the NNPC boss, representatives of the PPPRA, the Directorate Of Petroleum Resources (DPR) are to brief the senate on why it may have to go ahead with the policy and steps it would put in place to checkmate some independent marketers who may under the guise of deregulation increase prices of petroleum products."
He said that it was within the powers of the executive branch of government to decide whether or not to remove subsidy on petroleum products.
Though he did specifically confirm senate support for deregulation, he however admitted that the policy was responsible for the long queue at most filling stations across the land.
On the closed session yesterday, Senator Eze said "we (senate) discussed the issue of fuel scarcity, deregulation and the problems and in due course the Senate will be inviting all the relevant authorities to come and address us on all the issues so that we can make an informed decision because we cannot wait and watch our people sleep in petroleum products queues and we are mindful of what has happened in the past and we are not going to wait and allow that kind of situation to happen again because we know that there was a time when our people use to spend two to three nights waiting for petroleum products."
"We have heard assurances that we have about 40 days sufficiency supply. We are going to invite all the parties including labour to come and educate Nigerians on what the problems are and we can apply our legislative therapy to resolve the problem once and for all.
"What is happening is that the government has not even done the deregulation, government said there is no deregulation yet, but there is a problem everywhere, cars are packed for days in queues waiting to get petroleum product, and you cannot expect us to fold our hands and not ask questions," he added.
On the issue of subsidy, Senator Eze said "of course you know I cannot go from the legislative to executive platform. The only people who can make pronouncement on whether it goes or does not go is the executive, and for now their statement is that subsidy has not gone."
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