Senate intervenes on Fuel Scarcity
Stakeholders
in the petroleum sector, at a public hearing organised by the Joint
Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), on
Monday resolved to mobilise their members for the immediate distribution
of fuel across the country.
Senator
Magnus Abe, who read a communique duly signed by the stakeholders after
the session, explained that the Finance Minister / Coordinating
Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and other
stakeholders who attended the meeting, unanimously agreed to the peace
deal, in the interest of the nation.
He also
explained that following the intervention of the Group Managing Director
of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the strike embarked
upon by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the
Petroleum and Energy Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, had been
called off.
He said,
“We have agreed on the following: first is that the Minister of Finance
will give an undertaking to the Major Marketers and Depot Managers that
the work of the committee being headed by CBN and PPPR, on the
outstanding claims, would be concluded and be reflected in the hand over
notes to the incoming administration.”
He said
the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria had agreed to begin
lifting of Petroleum products nationwide within the next six hours and
to also pay the National Association of Road Transport Owners, the
transport cost that will be determined by them.
He also
added that the Depot Managers had agreed to open all their depots
nationwide so that lifting would commence and had agreed with the DPR to
withdraw the operational licence of any depot which was not opened for
fuel lifting.
Abe said
the NNPC had directed all relevant staff working in the various depots
across the country to work 24 hours including Saturday and Sunday for
the next two weeks until normalcy returns to the sector.
He also
explained that the committee would reach out to the Lagos State
Government on the agreement reached and the need for their contribution
towards ensuring smooth lifting of fuel at all the depots.
Credit: Punch
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