Fuel scarcity: Senate begs Nigerians, speaks on inviting Petroleum Minister, Buhari

Nigerian Senate has expressed its determination to unravel the mystery behind the incessant fuel crisis occasionally witnessed across the country.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on petroleum (downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa, said this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday.

He apologised to Nigerians on behalf of the red chamber, assuring that the “Senate is poised to find possible solutions to remedy the lingering fuel crisis”.

He ‎decried the large scale corruption in the petroleum industry, lamenting the sharp practices in the sector with regards to subsidy payment.

Marafa said that fuel sells as high as N300 in some parts of the country and even unavailable in other areas.

He reiterated that the Senate would convene an emergency public hearing on January 4, 2018.

He said the parley would have the Minister of State for Petroleum, NNPC GMD, the Directorate of Petroleum Resources and other relevant stakeholders in attendance.

On whether the substantive Minister of Petroleum, President Muhammadu Buhari will be at the hearing, Marafa stated that “there would be no need”.

According to him, the Minister of State, Ibe Kachikwu, would be present and is expected to answer questions on behalf of the president.

Also speaking, Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi said the legislature was sad about the fuel scarcity, adding that the situation needed to be addressed.‎

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