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Worried by possible fuel supply crisis in the country, the Nigerian Senate has issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government to pay off the N800 billion subsidy debts owed oil marketers.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Senate issued the ultimatum on Thursday, urging the FG to as a matter of urgency direct relevant agencies to pay the subsidy arrears as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly (NASS) within two weeks.
The oil marketers had written Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream over non-payment of the subsidy arrears by the FG, and had on Sunday in Lagos gave the FG a seven-day ultimatum to settle the outstanding debts totaling N800 billion, failing which, depots would cease operation across the country.
The marketers, comprising Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) and Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPIs), said failure to meet the deadline would force its members to disengage workers from depots.
Senator Kabir Marafa, who read the oil marketers letter at Senate plenary session on Thursday, raised the motion on urgent need to avert the looming crisis in fuel supply due to non-payment of the fuel subsidy arrears to the independent marketers.
“The Committee on Petroleum Downstream received a letter from DAPMAN on the non-payment of subsidy arrears by the Federal Government. If the demands are not met, they will shut down in 7 days,” Senator Marafa said.
In their contributions, Senators Yahaya Abdullahi, Barnabas Gemade and Ahmad Babba Kaita pleaded with leadership of the Senate to prevail to avert the looming fuel supply crisis.
“I am a member of this particular Committee, we had a long meeting, we have gone through all the necessary procedures and offices. We have to make sure these funds are released so we can avert this strike,” Senator Abdullahi said.
While Senator Gemade stated that “Withholding of these payments has nothing to do with the National Assembly, it is the executives that are responsible, the necessary ministries and agencies should pay DAPMAN so as to avert this crisis”, Senator Kaita said, “This motion is timely, it is a matter that affects our lives in it’s totality. Christmas is coming so this should be averted. This Senate should do anything humanly possible to stop this”.
TNG reports the Senate in its resolution urged the oil marketers to as a matter of national interest rescind the earlier decision of the one week ultimatum to give the FG a little more time to look into their demands.
The Senate also urged the FG to engage marketers and agree on the subsidy claims to avoid possible fuel supply crisis.