Chukwu David


The Senate, yesterday, said that the Presidency lied on its claim that the National Assembly was responsible for the current fuel crisis for allegedly delaying its loan request for payment of oil marketers in the country.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, had allegedly, at a meeting with stakeholders in the oil industry on the fuel scarcity in the country, said that the payment of debt owed to oil marketers was being delayed because the National Assembly had not approved request presented to the apex legislature for loan meant for that purpose.

But in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi, the Red chamber posited that there was no such request made to it specifically requesting for loan meant for payment to oil marketers.

Sabi also said that the Chamber was aware that subsidy on petroleum had been cancelled by this administration; noting that the members of the Parliament were wondering which payment the Presidency was talking about at the moment.

The Senate further observed that Senators had been inundated with calls from oil marketers who were present at the meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President on the issue.

Accordingly, Sabi advised Mallam Kyari to either come out publicly and prove his claim or retract it, to put the matter straight and remove the name of the National Assembly from the ongoing crisis between the Executive arm of government and the oil marketers.

He noted that a similar claim was made by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, on the foreign loan at a time the Presidency had not forwarded the request to the National Assembly, pointing out that the letter requesting for the foreign loan was submitted long after she was confronted with the fact.

The Senate therefore, warned public officials working in the Executive, to rather seek cooperation and collaboration with the legislature on how to tackle some of the national challenges instead of indulging in blame game.

The statement read:”The Senate would want members of the public to know that no such request has been made to it specifically requesting for loan meant for payment to oil marketers.

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