Nigeria FuelScarcity: Why Senate Cannot Summon Buhari- APC
The senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thwarted the efforts of their counterparts on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to convince the Senate to summon President Muhammadu Buhari over the lingering fuel scarcity in the country.
Indications had emerged yesterday that the president, as the substantive minister for petroleum resources, could be summoned by the upper chamber of the assembly over the incessant fuel crisis in the country.
But the APC senators frustrated their plans by voting against the prayer when it was thrown open for ‘ayes’ and ‘nays’ by the senate president, Bukola Saraki.
President Muhammadu Buhari
According to Vanguard, the senators from the PDP senators, who berated
the President’s handling of current economic situation in the country, want him to appear before the senate to explain the cause of the fuel scarcity and how to solve the problem.
A motion tagged: “The current fuel scarcity all around the country and the need to urgently resolve the crisis” was sponsored by senator Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano North and 23 other senators, and the senators deliberated on it.
The PDP, who spoke through Enyinnaya Abaribe, Abia South, accused the president of mismanaging the country’s oil sector which has resulted in untold hardship for Nigerians, barely six months after being in the saddle as president, and suggested that he be summoned to explain why the federal government had not proferred a solution to the fuel issues.
Other PDP senators were happy with the points made by Abaribe as they applauded and hailed him after his speech, where he supported his call with a prayer for adoption.
The APC senators, however countered the suggestion, stating that the president cannot be summoned even as minister of petroleum resources.
Aliyu Sabi, the chairman on media and publicity, who spoke on behalf of the red chamber, insisted that the fact that the president was overseeing the petroleum ministry as a substantive minister, does not make him an easy fry who can be summoned like other ministers.
To settle the arguments, the senate president put the matter up for voice vote and it was squarely defeated as the APC Senators, who were more in number, shouted an overwhelming “aye” against the PDP’s “nay”.
Senator Barau in an earlier motion, regretted that Nigerians were going through untold hardship following the lingering fuel problem.
He said: “We are worried that the scarcity is creating an untold hardship to our citizens who have to pay higher prices for these products especially petrol.
“We are convinced that the current situation is not in tune with the desire of the progressively inclined government to bring succour to Nigerians in all spheres of their lives.”
Senator Sabi, during a briefing after the plenary session, explained why President Buhari could not be summoned by the Senate, noting that as the Commander-in-Chief, it is wrong to invite him to appear before the Senate, despite the fact that he was the petroleum minister.
According to him, Dr Kachikwu, the minister of state for petroleum resources, would be summoned instead, to brief the senate on plans put in place by the federal government to end the fuel scarcity.
Meanwhile, senator Gbenga Asafa representing Lagos east senatorial district has suggested that all fuel hoarders should be arrested and prosecuted accordinglyfollowing the unending fuel crisis in the country.
Source: naij
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