Following the recent long queues at petrol filling stations across the country as a result of fuel scarcity, Senate has invited Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Andrew Yakubu, to a meeting Tuesday. Senate committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) headed by Magnus Abe also invited to the meeting to find lasting solution to the scarcity are Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Reginald Stanley along with other stakeholders in the petroleum downstream sector.
Abe who personally signed the invitation letter said the long queues of vehicles at filling stations noticed this week in Abuja and some cities in the country especially in Lagos, nation's commercial centre "is unacceptable".
He said "We thought that the era of Nigerians queuing at filling stations for indeterminate hours to procure PMS and other petroleum products, was indeed gone forever. It is, indeed, an embarrassment that precious man-hours are wasted in the quest to fulfill a basic need.
"What was initially perceived as a glitch in the distribution chain has now ballooned into queues in what now seems to be a gradual return to that inglorious era.
"The Senate Petroleum Resources Committee intends to engage those in charge with a view to ascertain and chart workable solutions to the challenges in the downstream sector.
"To this end, we will meet with the Petroleum Resources Minister, the NNPC GMD, PPPRA and other relevant stakeholders next week."
Sources close to the committee disclosed that the payment or non-payment of subsidy to oil marketers would also be tackled at the meeting on Tuesday.
A joint committee of Petroleum (Downstream); Finance and Appropriation headed by Abe to investigate the mismanagement of fuel. Is yet to submit its report to the senate.
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