Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Wednesday, said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had released a lot of the nation’s strategic reserves in its bid to end the fuel scarcity currently being experienced in many parts of the country.

She said the queues being witnessed at filling stations would have disappeared completely if not for workers’ union issues that came up recently.

Alison-Madueke spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on the sidelines of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

She said, “We, on the NNPC side, had pushed out a lot of our strategic reserves in a bid to ensure that people were not overtly put out in terms of fuel scarcity. And if not for this recent union issue, I think it could have been completely alienated but I am sure over the next few days, it will die down completely. We are doing everything we can to ensure that this Christmas will not be like last Christmas.”

While stating that the fuel queues initially resurfaced because of the stringent subsidy claims measure put in place by the Federal Government, the minister said Nigerians could not continue to make case for transparency without being prepared to bear some of the hardship associated with cleaning up of the sector.

She explained that while verifications were being done and the claims paid, fuel queues would continue to disappear from filling stations.

She said, “Initially, the queues came out of the whole fuel subsidy issue and the fact that verifications of certain amounts and certain marketers’ claims were being made very stringently and this had to be done.

“We cannot have our cakes and eat it. We cannot keep calling out for transparency and accountability and pointing at corruption if we are not prepared to bear some of the hardship that will obviously come when you are trying to clean up a sector.

“The verifications were being done, payments could not be made by the finance ministry, and I think they have said that several times. But the verifications have been done, and payments are now being made. Like I said, the queues are actually beginning to go down.”

The minister said the NNPC was doing everything possible to ensure that there emerged a level playing field for all interested marketers and operators.

She said government had supported more indigenous marketers and operators in terms of setting up and also allowing them access into the sector, adding that the government intended to continue doing so aggressively.

Speaking on her experience in the cabinet as she celebrated her 52nd birthday, Alison-Madueke said it had been extremely challenging and rewarding.

The government should start looking for ways to end this reoccurring scarcity... why is the NUPENGASSON peep always holding the nation hostage in the name of one thing or the other? its getting embarrassing.

This is the step in the right direction...we want to enjoy a good Yuletide season....

Na today we begin hear say NNPC dey release fuel from strategic reserve and queue still dey long for gas station. Yeye dey smell!

i bought fuel at N200 per litre!!!...i am yet to recover from that...when i do, i will come back and comment.

Black Mamba: The government should start looking for ways to end this reoccurring scarcity... why is the NUPENGASSON peep always holding the nation hostage in the name of one thing or the other? its getting embarrassing.

why the minister earlier said that nigerians should be held responsible for this latest scarcity and she was right. He who wants equity must come with a clean hand. Nigerians have beome too irrational when it comes to certain issue beause we often erroneously assume that government is always wrong.

Elueme: why the minister earlier said that nigerians should be held responsible for this latest scarcity and she was right. He who wants equity must come with a clean hand. Nigerians have beome too irrational when it comes to certain issue beause we often erroneously assume that government is always wrong.

thats the point...something needs to be done to correct this highhandedness being meted on Nigerians by these unions!