Fuel scarcity: Buhari escapes summons, Senate probes shortage
Fuel scarcity: Buhari escapes summons, Senate probes shortage
From Fred Itua, Abuja
ALL Progressives Congress (APC) Senators yesterday shut down moves by
the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to summon President
Muhammadu Buhari, who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to
appear before the Senate over the biting fuel scarcity.
In a motion sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) and
co-sponsored by 23 others, the lawmakers expressed worries over the
endless fuel scarcity and the hardship it has inflicted on Nigerians.
“We are worried that the scarcity is creating an untold hardship to
our citizens who have to pay higher prices for these products especially
petrol. We are convinced that the current situation is not in tune with
the desire of the progressively-inclined government to bring”, he said.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), urged the Senate to
summon the President to tell law- makers why the government was yet to
resolve the lingering fuel crisis, despite claims that the refineries
were working.
Abaribe’s amendment to the motion was defeated when the Senate
President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, put it up for a voice vote. APC Senators
who were obviously more in number, drowned the voices of their PDP
counterparts.
Meanwhile, the Senate has mandated its Committee on Petroleum
Downstream to urgently examine all is- sues associated with the current
scarcity of petroleum products and determine how the legislature could
collaborate with the executive to bring a lasting solution that will
prevent any future problem of fuel scarcity. The committee is expected
to report back to the Senate as soon as possible.
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