Inalegwu Shaibu
23 February 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA— The Senate committee on Petroleum (Downstream) has summoned Petroleum Resources minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and her Finance counterpart, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to appear before it and explain the cause of the recent scarcity of fuel in the country.
Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petro-leum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Austen Oniwon, has also been summoned by the Committee following spate of fuel scarcity across the country.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Magnus Abe, who issued the summon in Abuja on Wednesday, said the Senate is worried about the increasing queues at filling stations, despite the reintroduction of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
He said: “The Senate is concerned by what is happening in the country today regarding the availability of petroleum products for our local consumption. We have asked the key players to come before us to explain why there is no fuel in our filling stations.”
Those to also appear before the committee in relation to the scarcity include Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Reginald Stanley; Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Austin Olorunshola.
The committee also summoned the President of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN).
All those invited are scheduled to appear before the Senate tomorrow by noon.
