JUNIOR PETROLEUM MINISTER SUMMONED BY SENATE TO DEFEND STATEMENT

The Senate on Monday summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, to appear before its Committee on Petroleum Downstream on Tuesday, over lingering fuel scarcity in the country.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Sen. Jibrin Barau, told newsmen shortly after an on-the-spot assessment of filling stations in Abuja that the summon became necessary following the hardship on Nigerians.

“We have invited the minister of state to appear before the committee on Tuesday  to tell us about the fuel scarcity problem and the strategy he is employing to solve it.

“We will expect him to give a date when the problem will be resolved permanently; this is the course of action we have taken,” Barau said.

He added that: “We are not satisfied because this problem has gone unabated for too long; the situation is appalling and it is a major problem.

“We gave the ministry enough time and space to put its act together to solve this problem.”

Barau assured that the senate would take a position on the matter after hearing from the minister of state, who is also the Group Managing Director, NNPC.