Senate begins probe to unravel cause of fuel scarcity

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

The Senate Order was sequel to the motion by the Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, who had called on the lawmakers to pay serious attention to the fuel crisis that had created great hardship for Nigerians at the moment.

Senator Ningi wondered why a country that has abundant oil resources should face the kind of biting scarcity that had increased the suffering of Nigerians.

But the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, noted that since the Deputy Senate Leader raised the motion under personal explanation, the senate would not debate it but would rather approved his prayers.

Senator 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 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 last week. That is our wish'

The Senate Deputy leader had while moving his motion, said since the Senate still has the mandate of the people‎ until June 1, it had the responsibility to intervene in the unfortunate development.

According to him, 'We need to know whether fuel scarcity has come to stay. We need to know whether it has become part of our life. 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.

'Otherwise, I think its legally and morally wrong to keep silent about it, sweep it under the carpet and to continue to believe these things are usual.'