* Saraki recalls Petroleum Resources panel from
recess
* Oyo, Gombe govts, DPR seal 13 filling stations
In a bid to end the fuel crisis and its untold hardship on
Nigerians, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has
recalled the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream),
from recess.
The senate president also mandated the committee to immediately
convene a meeting with industry stakeholders.
Committee Chairman, Senator Kabiru Marafa, disclosed this in
Abuja, yesterday.
He said following the directive, the committee has summoned the
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Group
Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC), Maikanti Baru and other relevant stakeholders in the
petroleum sector to a crucial meeting on Thursday, January 4,
2018.
Senator Marafa further added that the meeting, which will be
held in Senate Hearing Room 2.21 and its proceedings aired live on
the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), is meant to address causes
of the fuel scarcity, with a view to stopping its recurrence.
Senate, which is presently on Christmas and New Year break, is
scheduled to resume budget defence on January 9 and commence
plenary on January 16.
In Ibadan, Oyo State Government and the state’s office of the
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sealed seven filling
stations.
Among the filling stations sealed were Kesbash Oil Nigeria
Limited, SWORT Oil & Gas, Oduwoye Global Services Ltd, JOSFRAD
International Venture, ROYLAB International Venture and BALEY
Nigeria Limited.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the filling
stations were sealed by a Joint Task Force of DPR, Oyo State
Government and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC).
NAN also reported that the team went round the metropolis to
enforce the N145 per litre pump price as well as check hoarding of
the product.
DPR Deputy Controller of Oyo state Office, Mr Sadiq Ibrahim,
told newsmen that the essence of the monitoring was to check
hoarding and hike in pump price.
Ibrahim disclosed that some of the filling stations caught
hoarding the product and selling above pump price would be
sanctioned.
“Those filling stations caught hoarding the product would be
charged for hoarding, while those who sold above pump price would
also be sanctioned.
“This is because government has not increased the pump price of
petrol. What we have been able to do is to compel those hoarding to
sell to the public at the recommended pump price and later seal
them,’’ he said.
Special Adviser on Community Relations, Abidemi Shiyanbade, told
newsmen that Governor Abiola Ajimobi had directed the constitution
of the task force; to resolve the hardship faced by residents in
getting the product.
“The governor had directed that the task force check for
marketers hoarding the product and those selling it above the pump
price.
“What we discovered is that some of them have the product and
were not selling, while some sold above the recommenced pump price
at night.
“The synergy with DPR is to check their dump and force those who
have it to sell at the stipulated pump price to the public.
“We will not stop the exercise until the marketers comply with
the regulations. We won’t not allow people take laws into their
hands,’’ he said.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and TourismToye Arulogun,
as well as Commissioner for Liaison Affairs and Special Duties
Fatai Salau, corroborated Shiyanbade’s claim.
The DPR also sealed six filling stations across Gombe State for
offences which bordered on selling above the official pump price of
N145 as well as hoarding.
One filling station, Tukur Dahiru Mohammed NIgeria Limited was
sealed for diverting 26, 000 litres of petrol.
Controller of Operations at the Gombe Field Office, Abdullahi
Abawa said the department has embarked on an operation to regulate
the activities of fuel dispensation, in order to reduce the
hardship faced by commuters because of scarcity.
The controller spoke with journalists on Thursday.
Abawa said it is the responsibility of DPR to regulate
activities in the oil business particularly now that there’s the
scarcity of fuel across the country.
DPR officials had to force some filling stations to open and
directed the sell of products to the public.
He accused oil marketers for the prevailing fuel scarcity as
according marketers do not help matters through product diversion
as well as selling above pump price.
“The situation is subsisting because oil marketers are not
cooperating, difficult and inconsiderate.
“Why would anybody like to inflict hardships on fellow
citizens?” he said.
At the AYM filling station located in Yarima Quarters area of
Gombe, DPR officials forced the marketer to adjust their pump price
from N210 to the official rate of N145.
The officials further directed the manager of the filling
station to sell the entire product in storage to the public before
sealing the station.
In a chat with Daily Sun, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, state chairman of
the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) blamed
the unavailability of fuel at the loading depots as responsible for
the prevailing fuel scarcity.
Ibrahim said as he spoke, over 150 trucks from Gombe are
awaiting to uplift products from Lagos.
Most consumers in Gombe commended the DPR for embarking on the
operation.
A consumer, Danladi Shehu, who was excited at the chance to fill
the tank of his car, expressed gratitude to DPR officials.
“It’s now that we know something is being done to address the
biting fuel scarcity. We pray you succeed in your endeavours,” said
Shehu.
* Saraki recalls Petroleum Resources panel from
recess
* Oyo, Gombe govts, DPR seal 13 filling stations
In a bid to end the fuel crisis and its untold hardship on
Nigerians, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has
recalled the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream),
from recess.
The senate president also mandated the committee to immediately
convene a meeting with industry stakeholders.
Committee Chairman, Senator Kabiru Marafa, disclosed this in
Abuja, yesterday.
He said following the directive, the committee has summoned the
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Group
Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC), Maikanti Baru and other relevant stakeholders in the
petroleum sector to a crucial meeting on Thursday, January 4,
2018.
Senator Marafa further added that the meeting, which will be
held in Senate Hearing Room 2.21 and its proceedings aired live on
the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), is meant to address causes
of the fuel scarcity, with a view to stopping its recurrence.
Senate, which is presently on Christmas and New Year break, is
scheduled to resume budget defence on January 9 and commence
plenary on January 16.
In Ibadan, Oyo State Government and the state’s office of the
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sealed seven filling
stations.
Among the filling stations sealed were Kesbash Oil Nigeria
Limited, SWORT Oil & Gas, Oduwoye Global Services Ltd, JOSFRAD
International Venture, ROYLAB International Venture and BALEY
Nigeria Limited.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the filling
stations were sealed by a Joint Task Force of DPR, Oyo State
Government and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC).
NAN also reported that the team went round the metropolis to
enforce the N145 per litre pump price as well as check hoarding of
the product.
DPR Deputy Controller of Oyo state Office, Mr Sadiq Ibrahim,
told newsmen that the essence of the monitoring was to check
hoarding and hike in pump price.
Ibrahim disclosed that some of the filling stations caught
hoarding the product and selling above pump price would be
sanctioned.
“Those filling stations caught hoarding the product would be
charged for hoarding, while those who sold above pump price would
also be sanctioned.
“This is because government has not increased the pump price of
petrol. What we have been able to do is to compel those hoarding to
sell to the public at the recommended pump price and later seal
them,’’ he said.
Special Adviser on Community Relations, Abidemi Shiyanbade, told
newsmen that Governor Abiola Ajimobi had directed the constitution
of the task force; to resolve the hardship faced by residents in
getting the product.
“The governor had directed that the task force check for
marketers hoarding the product and those selling it above the pump
price.
“What we discovered is that some of them have the product and
were not selling, while some sold above the recommenced pump price
at night.
“The synergy with DPR is to check their dump and force those who
have it to sell at the stipulated pump price to the public.
“We will not stop the exercise until the marketers comply with
the regulations. We won’t not allow people take laws into their
hands,’’ he said.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and TourismToye Arulogun,
as well as Commissioner for Liaison Affairs and Special Duties
Fatai Salau, corroborated Shiyanbade’s claim.
The DPR also sealed six filling stations across Gombe State for
offences which bordered on selling above the official pump price of
N145 as well as hoarding.
One filling station, Tukur Dahiru Mohammed NIgeria Limited was
sealed for diverting 26, 000 litres of petrol.
Controller of Operations at the Gombe Field Office, Abdullahi
Abawa said the department has embarked on an operation to regulate
the activities of fuel dispensation, in order to reduce the
hardship faced by commuters because of scarcity.
The controller spoke with journalists on Thursday.
Abawa said it is the responsibility of DPR to regulate
activities in the oil business particularly now that there’s the
scarcity of fuel across the country.
DPR officials had to force some filling stations to open and
directed the sell of products to the public.
He accused oil marketers for the prevailing fuel scarcity as
according marketers do not help matters through product diversion
as well as selling above pump price.
“The situation is subsisting because oil marketers are not
cooperating, difficult and inconsiderate.
“Why would anybody like to inflict hardships on fellow
citizens?” he said.
At the AYM filling station located in Yarima Quarters area of
Gombe, DPR officials forced the marketer to adjust their pump price
from N210 to the official rate of N145.
The officials further directed the manager of the filling
station to sell the entire product in storage to the public before
sealing the station.
In a chat with Daily Sun, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, state chairman of
the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) blamed
the unavailability of fuel at the loading depots as responsible for
the prevailing fuel scarcity.
Ibrahim said as he spoke, over 150 trucks from Gombe are
awaiting to uplift products from Lagos.
Most consumers in Gombe commended the DPR for embarking on the
operation.
A consumer, Danladi Shehu, who was excited at the chance to fill
the tank of his car, expressed gratitude to DPR officials.
“It’s now that we know something is being done to address the
biting fuel scarcity. We pray you succeed in your endeavours,” said
Shehu.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/fuel-crisis-senate-summons-kachikwu-baru-others/