Senate begins fuel scarcity probe

The Senate on Thursday asked its committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream) to immediately commence investigation into the causes of the current fuel crisis in the country.

The directive followed a motion by the Deputy Senate Majority Leader,  Senator Abdul Ningi, who prayed the upper chamber to pay serious attention to the biting fuel crisis which was creating great hardship for Nigerians at the moment.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, noted that since Ningi raised the motion under personal explanation, the senate would not debate it but would rather approve his prayers.
Ekweremadu said, “Ningi’s prayers are simple and straightforward. He is asking us, as representatives of the people,  to direct our committees on upstream and downstream to find out what is currently going on in the oil sector and possibly find a way of addressing it.
“In that regard, we now ask our committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), to find out what is going on and what the government is doing about it and report back on Tuesday next week. That is our wish.”
Ningi had, while moving his motion, said since the Senate still have the mandate of the people‎ until June 1, it had the responsibility to intervene in the unfortunate development.
Ningi said, “We need to know whether fuel scarcity has come to stay. We need to know whether it has become part of our lives. We need to plan.
“By planning and talking about it we are now sensitising Nigerians to brace up for the impending issue of fuel scarcity whether it is going to be here permanently or temporary.
“But we can’t know all these things until we hear from the experts. Therefore my prayer is to ask the committee on downstream and upstream to come up with explanations next Tuesday through which Nigerians will know and plan their future.