Senator blames fuel scarcity on saboteurs in NNPC
The ongoing fuel scarcity in the country is
the handiwork of saboteurs within Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Senator Buruji Kashamu, representing Ogun East Senatorial District has said.
The senator to this end called on the federal government to decentralise allocation of petroleum products within the NNPC and depots in the country.
He told journalists after a meeting with members of Omo-Ilu Foundation and empowerment ceremony, at the Omo-Ilu Foundation Complex, Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North local government area of Ogun state that some managers at the depots sold the products to independent petrol marketers at the official rate of N77 and ask them to pay additional N30 into special private account.
The Senator said that the sharp practise has made it difficult for the retailers to sell the product to consumers at the official pump price at N86.50k.
He further said that depot managers have deliberately refused to allocate products to marketers who failed to comply with their demands, thus the irregularity in petroleum prices.
Senator Kashamu maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to sanitise NNPC would record little success as long as the sharp practise continued urged Dr Ibe Kacukwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to personally take over the allocation of PMS and allied products in order to arrest the corrupt situation in the depots.
“Without doubt, the Minister of Petroleum should take over the allocation and distribution of products in NNPC depots and other depots in the country. The corrupt practices being undertaken by the depot managers are alarming and something must be done to address the situation.
“President Buhari should focus his searchlight on the goings-on in our depots. There are serious under-the-table dealings. It is only marketers that are ready to pay extra N30 into private account that are allocated products.
“This is bad for our economy and a kind of setback for the anti-corruption fight of President Buhari. These saboteurs must be fished out and prosecuted to proper sanitise the downstream sector,” Senator Kashamu said.
Meanwhile, he described the emergence of Senator Alli-Modu Sheriff as the acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as good omen for the party, adding that the party needs “somebody who is solid, courageous and formidable to lead it at this critical time.”
He explained that it was the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party that chose and ratified his position adding Sheriff would remain as the party chairman till the national congress of the party.
He said that Sheriff may be allowed to continue as chairman of the party at the national congress if he is able to draw more people to the party and work effectively to bring PDP back on the track.
