Leadership (Abuja)
Uchenna Awom and Stanley Yakubu
4 November 2009
Abuja — The Senate yesterday summoned the Minister of Petroleum, Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mohammed Barkindo, the Director of Department of Petroleum Resources, the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Col. Ahmadu Ali (rtd) and the organised labour to appear before it to explain to Nigerians what is currently happening in the petroleum sector that would warrant the recent upsurge in fuel queues.
The Senate also feigned ignorance of deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry or the removal of subsidy, saying there is no need for what is happening as the executive has never informed it or announced that the subsidy on petroleum products has been withdrawn or that it has fully deregulated.
Emerging from over one hour closed door session where the issues were trashed, the Senate's spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, said the Senate is inviting all the relevant authorities to come and address it on all the issues "so that we can make an informed decision and after that we can then apply our legislative therapy to resolve the problem once and for all".
He, however, cautioned that nobody should hide behind the pretext of free market economy to cheat the people.
"We have discussed the issue of fuel scarcity, deregulation and the problems and... 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 time was when our people used 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 parked for days in queues, waiting to get petroleum products, and you cannot expect us to fold our hands and not ask questions.
"Of course you know I cannot go from the legislative to executive platform. The issue of subsidy, the only people who can make pronouncement, whether it goes or does not go, is the executive, and for now their statement is that subsidy has not gone", he said.
Meanwhile, the All Nigeria Peoples Party has expressed displeasure on the proposed deregulation of the oil sector.
This was contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Emma Eneukwu, who said that despite the fact that opposition parties, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and civil society organisations (CSOs) have cried out to oppose the deregulation process and threaten to stage a "full blown national strike should government go ahead with the subsidy removal" government seems not to see reason.
The statement said, "Government few days ago denied the fuel price hike. What does government expect when people are looking for means to sell the commodity at their own price? We are not comfortable with the situation in Abuja. In many filling stations, it is so sad that queues are being experienced since five days now even when deregulation has not take effect.
"Let us assume that the oil sector is deregulated, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members will not suffer the consequences because they are in government. Things will be difficult for the masses. The experiences at our petrol stations show that deregulation is not going to be possible."
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