President can’t be summoned —Senate
We must reconsider PIB to stop scarcity —Saraki

ABUJA—EFFORTS by senators of the opposition
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to convince the
Senate to summon President Muhammadu Buhari
to give reasons for the ongoing fuel scarcity in the
country, were frustrated, yesterday, by their
counterparts in the ruling All Progressives
Congress, APC.

The PDP senators, who berated the President’s
handling of current economic situation in the
country, insisted that he be made to a appear
before the Senate to give explanations on the cause
of the fuel scarcity and how he intended to solve
the issue as Minister of Petroleum.

Their frustrated efforts came following a motion,
tagged: “The current fuel scarcity all around the
country and the need to urgently resolve the
crisis,” sponsored by Senator Jibrin Barau, APC,
Kano North and 23 other senators, which was
debated upon.

Speaking through Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP,
Abia South, the opposition senators accused the
President of mismanaging the country’s oil sector,
causing untold hardship for Nigerians, barely six
months after being in the saddle as president.
But the Senate, in a reaction to the development,
said the President could not be summoned even as
Minister of Petroleum.

The red chamber, reacting through its chairman on
Media and Publicity, Aliyu Sabi, insisted that the
fact that the President was overseeing the
Petroleum ministry as a substantive minister, did
not make him to be easily summoned like other
ministers.

Abaribe had, while contributing to the motion, urged
the Senate to summon President Buhari to explain
why the Federal Government was yet to find
solutions to the continued fuel problem in spite of
its claim that the refineries in the country were
working.

He said the unnecessary hardship occasioned by
the scarcity could only be resolved if lawmakers
were adequately briefed on the true state of affairs.
Senator Abaribe‘s submission received wide
support from other PDP senators, as they all hailed
him.

Senator Abaribe supported his call with a prayer for
adoption but it was defeated when the Senate
President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, put it up for a voice
vote.

At this point, the APC Senators, who were more in
number, defeated their PDP colleagues with
overwhelming shout of “yes” against the PDP’s
“nay.”

President cannot be summoned —Senate
Earlier, in his motion, Senator Barau regretted that
Nigerians were going through untold hardship
following the lingering fuel problem.

“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 succour to Nigerians in all
spheres of their lives,” Senator Jibrin noted.

But at a briefing after the plenary session,
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and
Publicity, Aliyu Sabi, explained why President
Buhari could not be summoned by the Senate.
He said as the Commander-in-Chief, it was wrong
to invite him to appear before the Senate, despite
the fact that he was the Minister of Petroleum.
Senator Sabi said in the place of President Buhari,
the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr.
Ibe Kachikwu would be summoned to brief the
Senate on plans put in place by the Federal
Government to end the fuel scarcity.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa, APC, Lagos East, while
also contributing, called for the approval of the
supplementary budget which he noted, contained
the amount proposed for payment of subsidy to the
marketers. He pleaded that the issue be treated
with uttermost urgency.

We must reconsider PIB to stop scarcity —Saraki
Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki,
said the Senate must take the issue of passage of
the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) seriously if
scarcity of petroleum products would end in the
country.

Saraki stated this while commenting on a motion
seeking permanent solution to recurring scarcity of
petroleum products in the country at Senate
plenary.

He said with a law regulating the petroleum
industry, relevant institutions would function
effectively and urged senators not to politicize
issues relating to petroleum products production
and supply as they affected the live of every
Nigerian.

“Scarcity has continued to plague this country and
we must find a lasting solution to this problem,” he
said.

After debate on the motion moved by Sen. Barau
Jibrin (APC Kano North), the senate directed its
Committee on Petroleum Upstream to proffer a
lasting solution to the recurring problem of scarcity
of petroleum products.

The upper chamber sought means of collaboration
with the executive to end the recurring fuel supply
challenge.

It urged the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) to continue its current push to
stem the scarcity, and commended President
Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment in tackling
issues in the sector.

Moving the motion earlier, Jibrin expressed worry
that scarcity, whenever it occurred, brought untold
hardship on Nigerians.

He said that problem was not in line with the goals
of the current administration and as such, urged
the senate to liaise with the executive and other
relevant stakeholders to solve the problem.
In his contribution, Sen. Olugbenga Ashafa (APC
Lagos East) recommended stringent punishment,
including jail term for marketers who hoard
petroleum products.

He said that such marketers contributed in making
the lives of Nigerians more miserable, adding that
their stations should not just be shut ‘’but they
should be jailed”.

“Some marketers derive pleasure in hoarding
petroleum products; if we do not set example with
such people, the dastardly acts of hoarding will
continue.

“Our regulators must ensure that marketers that
are hoarding are not just clamped down on but
prosecuted.

“We must assist Mr President in reviving our ailing
refineries; if our refineries function optimally, we
will not have the problem of scarcity,” he said.
On his part, Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, specifically said
that the “senior” minister of petroleum resources
should be summoned to explain the problems with
fuel supply.

The senator questioned why the country still paid
subsidies and experienced long queues when the
present administration had in their campaign
promised to end the problem.

“Many thought there will be no fuel queues under
the APC but we see it everywhere; we are seeking
the approval of over N400billion for payment of
subsidy.

“Change has come but there is no change because
we are still doing the same things; the fuel queues
are still here; the subsidy payment is still there and
there is no hope in sight.

“So we are asking, where is this change?
“We will ask the Minister of Petroleum to come and
tell this senate what the ministry is doing to solve
this problem.

“I support this motion, but I do not support the part
where we are thanking a minister for not solving
the problem,” he said.

Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC Kebbi Central) said that the
issue of deregulation must be revisited if private
investors must delve into local refining of crude.
Sen. Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West) in his
contribution recalled that the cost of crude has
dropped from about 120 dollars per barrel to about
40 dollars per barrel.

He pointed out that the subsidy being paid was
what was owed to oil marketers, and urged that the
issues should not be politicized.

In the meantime, the North East Development
Commission Bill sponsored by Sen. Ali Ndume and
Frivolous Petition Prohibition Bill sponsored by Sen.
Ibn Na’Allah passed first reading at the Senate on
Tuesday.

Also passed for first reading was the National
Youth Service Corps (amendment) Bill, 2015
sponsored by Sen Stella Odua (Anambra North).


source:

www.vanguardngr.com/2015/11/fuel-scarcity-apc-senators-frustrate-move-to-summon-buhari/

He has no choice than to answer the senate