In order to prevent nationwide fuel scarcity, the FG is willing to negotiate with oil marketers who duped Nigeria.

The Federal Government is willing to negotiate with some petrol marketers who were indicted for wrongly benefiting from the 2011 fuel subsidy payments (the cabal), Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said on Thursday.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, stated this at a news conference, on Thursday, in Abuja.

The minister said government was open to dialogue with marketers who had "little infractions'' in the fuel subsidy regime.

"Those whose infractions may be considered not so egregious, we will be talking to them and if they are willing to talk to us, we will also be willing to settle their claims and they can go on importing," Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said.

The minister did not clarify what "little infractions" meant, and what the Federal Government (FG) was willing to concede to the indicted marketers.

The indicted marketers, who have been recommended to return N382 billion by the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede presidential committee, committed various categories of offences; ranging from claiming subsidy for non-imported petrol to not claiming more subsidy funds than deserved.

Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede had told Nigerians, during the submission of his committee's report, not to expect the FG to recover all the N382 billion from the indicted firms.

We won't succumb to blackmail

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala also said that the long queues that have resurfaced in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, were not enough reasons for the FG to negotiate with some marketers whom she described as blackmailers.

"But for some of those who are bent on blackmailing the Federal Government even though they have committed very serious infractions in the subsidy claim we are not willing to pay them when they have not cleared their case," she said.

The junior minister in the finance ministry, Yerima Ngama, had, Wednesday, alleged that some of the indicted marketers were responsible for the fuel shortages being witnessed in Abuja.

The Abuja fuel queues are an indication of what to expect across the country if petrol marketers make good their threat to suspend fuel distribution should their subsidy payments not made by the FG.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala however assured genuine marketers of payment of their due subsidy saying '"there is no holding back or lack of willingness to pay for those who have no case to answer."

She explained that between April and August, Sovereign Debt Notes amounting to N42.66 billion were issued to 31 oil marketers, in respect of the 2012 fuel subsidy claims.

The Minister said the FG was still in talks with the marketers over the impasse.

"We are open, we will dialogue with them and we hope that the dialogue will lead to a situation in which they will not be called upon to undertake these actions that are being undertaken now," she said.

After her briefing, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala went into a meeting with representatives of some oil marketers including Sahara energy, Oando Plc, and NEPCO Plc.

The banker, whose committee indicted the petrol marketers, Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede, also took part in the closed door meeting.

More: http://channelkoos.com/index.php/news/2230-we-will-negotiate-with-subsidy-cabal-okonjo-iweala

What sort of rubbish is this?

Madam NOI, me I do not agree with you on this one? Haba, what kind of supporting criminal activity is this one? What is the guaranty these fuc.kerz won't repeat same thing, and clean their tracks? As much as I believe in you, this is a wrong way to go. There should be no "QUEUES" at station when Nigeria is the world's 6th largest oil producer, what kind of lingering curse is Nigeria bound onto?

I'm seriously disappointed..

This is a pointer that most of the subsidy cabal may go scot-free after all

youngies: This is a pointer that most of the subsidy cabal may go scot-free after all

"may"?tthey are free already

double post

Government of settlement. Its a big shame that the finance minister could even suggest negotiating with subsidy thieves and fraudsters considering what happened (deaths and all)during the January fuel subsidy protest.

LOOTOCRACY...... CABALOCRACY..........
FRESH AIR....

Seun'sModsAreTooBusyDrinkingBeerToKnowThatThisShouldBeOnTheFrontPage.. LOOTOCRACY...... CABALOCRACY..........
FRESH AIR....

Seun'sModsAreTooBusyDrinkingBeerToKnowThatThisShouldBeOnTheFrontPage..

only this govt. wan negotiate with terrorist and oil criminals cabals. hmmm
subsidy scam continues.......

malc619: LOOTOCRACY...... CABALOCRACY..........
FRESH AIR....

Seun'sModsAreTooBusyDrinkingBeerToKnowThatThisShouldBeOnTheFrontPage.. LOOTOCRACY...... CABALOCRACY..........
FRESH AIR....

Seun'sModsAreTooBusyDrinkingBeerToKnowThatThisShouldBeOnTheFrontPage..

why should it be on the front page?u guess should leave this mods alone nd lets stop dictating to them what topic should be on front page

im not happy with dr. ngozi´s dicision at all,she is losing my surport. sorry madam i disagree 100%

Yo[b]u should madam, after all they are your siblings(apologies to retardeen odechukwu).
And we are back to square one! [/b]

k

GEJ is involved. Further prosecution of those indicted and they will expose him, so he has to let them go.

End of story!

Do everything to cover your track madam thief

GEJ administration what a disappointment.

Okonjo, I don't support you on. You're negotiating with those thieves?

Okonjo why succumb to peer pressure? mschewww

When its time for reckoning, with their deeds we'll know the "ugly ones"

alaoeri: GEJ administration what a disappointment.

I will set up committee to look into that .......don't worry.

Those Cabal has got Power, to make ngozi to fall for negotiation. S.M.H

..... and what will this "negotiation" entail? Let me guess. Mr. "indicted fuel Marketer, please go and sin no more". "You bled your nation dry and nearly crippled her with acts that would be translated as highly treasonous everywhere else but never mind all that. You are our brother and we must not punish you. We only wish to bow before you".

What a useless Government. Nigeria is now a total farce under these crooks and every aspect of nationhood shows this. It is new and disgraceful levels of National low every single day with this government, whether it is the high level of insecurity, the wantonly unchecked corruption or even our recent dismal performance at the Olympics games which, by far, is the worst in recent memory.

Now, this worthless "don't give a damn" government is acting idiotically again because it knows that Nigerians will accept it's pathetic idiocy however inane and shameful to our National image. Why will non-Nigerians not now be insulting our President with ease when they see the obvious corruption, low threshold of decency and nauseating weakness he is working with?

How can they tell us they will negotiate with those they claim are ripping the Nation off and only belong in jail? Exactly who or what is this 'victim' Government not at the mercy of? Who will this weak Government not bow to and seek "dialogue" with? The most powerful authority in the land always on its knees begging every single damn miscreant and cheap blackmailer !!!

Simply pathetic and an indication issues will only end in tears for many. I doubt Donald Duke knew the extent to which his words would come to haunt Nigeria when he branded GEJ as weak and cowardly over two years ago.

Okonjo but why? Why u com too smart like this..na u be initiator na u be negotiator.. ..,na only nigeria be d country wey dey negotiate with terrorists and now again dem don dey negotiate with thieves

Baldarash!!!!!!!!

youngies: This is a pointer that most of the subsidy cabal may go scot-free after all

they have gone scot-free already. I even saw one of them in my neighbourhood yesterday drinking beer, heineken to be precise.

seriously, i'm tired of this sham and charade masquerading as a country. why must this miserable lilly liverd government always look for cheap avenues to negotiate with wastrels and shenanigans who are supposed to be cooling their monkey foots in jail. it's always negotiation negotiation and negotiation..this is really getting boring and a clear sign that we have no government. if they are not negotiating with retard Niger delta militants, they are negotiating with coward Boko harams and now it's the cabals they want to negotiate with. should anything bring a responsible government to the negotiating table in the first place with enemies of the society who are hell bent on throwing the nation to economic and social sabotage? I just don't get it. someone please shed more light or is there something I'm missing somewhere?

This is very expected. We already know how the case of the fuel subsidy cabals will end. We do not expect PDP, GEJ and his cabinet to prosecute the people they used in looting electioneering funds from nigerian treasury.

God please have mercy on Nigeria!!!

gosh..........the cabal has become so powerful we cant live without them.
utter rubish, too many sects are becoming too powerful for the fg to handle; it used to be only militants in niger delta, then boko haram and now the oil cabals, next will be kidnappers union in the east. negotiating with criminals is like postponing the evil day, we'd better deal with it now.

Hate me or not but I think its high time government implement full deregulation of pms, thereby they won't be paying subsidy to any marketer.

Gels!!! With The number of committee he has set up and negotiation with enemies of the state is a sure sign that he is weak and do not fit for the post of a nigeria president

Later, 40lapdogs will defend this sorry excuse of a Government.

GEJ led government, we hail oooo

PDP led cabals we hail oooo

Naija we hail oooo

(Eediooots )

Gels!!! With The number of committees he has set up and negotiation with enemies of the state is a sure sign that he is weak and do not fit for the post of a nigeria president