House Committees to investigate concerns around fuel scarcity report back within 48 hours, urge relevant security agencies to fish out oil marketers and other economic saboteurs that may be responsible for the fuel scarcity
The House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as a sole importer of petroleum products in Nigeria, to urgently end the queues at the petrol stations occasioned by scarcity across the country.
It also urged the relevant security agencies to fish out oil marketers and other economic saboteurs that may be responsible for the fuel scarcity.
The lawmakers also mandated the relevant House Committees to investigate the matter within 48 hours and report back just as the relevant regulatory authorities in the petroleum sector were invited to appear before the leadership of the House on Thursday, 26th January 2023, by 2 pm.
These resolutions were sequel to a motion titled ‘Need for the NNPCL and Other Regulators in the Petroleum Industry to end the Fuel Scarcity Across the Country,’ moved at the plenary by Rep. Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi).
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Presenting the motion under Matters of Urgent National Importance, Rep. Abejide noted that NNPC Limited was the only importer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, in the country. He also noted that the National Assembly had approved the money for the subsidy on petroleum products to mitigate against unforeseen circumstances in the areas of shortages of the product.
The Kogi lawmaker said that for over three months, there has been a persistent scarcity of PMS in many parts of the country, and the situation appears to be getting worse.
“There are uneven pump prices being dispensed by the filling stations across the country, which fields speculations that government may have begun to remove subsidy on petrol.There is the allegation of drop in petrol supply to marketers by private depots, which is creating a dangerous mindset in the country. The current fuel crisis across the country may worsen in the days ahead with the introduction of a N16.00 per litre charge.
Another contributing factor to the scarcity of the product may be unconnected with the increased cost of hiring daughter vessels in the hike in litre charges which hitherto were paid in Naira but now being charged in US Dollars. The scarcity is associated with saboteurs among some of the key stakeholders who deliberately manipulated the system.
Due to the scarcity, Nigerians are exposed to all sorts of hardships which has resulted in a hike in transportation fares and high cost of some major food items. As a result of petrol scarcity Nigerians is not finding it easy in their day-to-day livelihood activities,” he said.
The motion got overwhelming support when the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, put the question, and it was adopted.
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