Efforts by senators of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to convince the Senate to summon President Muhammadu Buhari to give reasons for the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country, were frustrated, yesterday, by their counterparts in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
SP @bukolasaraki now goes to the prayers. The Ayes have the motion to commend the President for his commitment to resolve #FuelScarcity
— Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) November 24, 2015
The Senate President Bukola Saraki says the motion on Fuel Scarcity is one issue that Senators should not politicize as it affects the people of Nigeria and opted to commend President Buhari.
Saraki then added that the issue of Fuel Scarcity is an issue that didn’t start today as its a backlog since the last administration.
The PDP senators, who berated the President’s handling of current economic situation in the country, insisted that he be made to a appear before the Senate to give explanations on the cause of the fuel scarcity and how he intended to solve the issue as Minister of Petroleum.
Their frustrated efforts came following a motion, tagged: “The current fuel scarcity all around the country and the need to urgently resolve the crisis,” sponsored by Senator Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano North and 23 other senators, which was debated upon.
Speaking through Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South, the opposition senators accused the President of mismanaging the country’s oil sector, causing untold hardship for Nigerians, barely six months after being in the saddle as president.
But the Senate, in a reaction to the development, said the President could not be summoned even as Minister of Petroleum.
The red chamber, reacting through its chairman on Media and Publicity, Aliyu Sabi, insisted that the fact that the President was overseeing the Petroleum ministry as a substantive minister, did not make him to be easily summoned like other ministers.
But at a briefing after the plenary session, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Aliyu Sabi, explained why President Buhari could not be summoned by the Senate.
He said as the Commander-in-Chief, it was wrong to invite him to appear before the Senate, despite the fact that he was the Minister of Petroleum.
Meanwhile, the Senate Minority leader shortly after the plenary session took to his social media account and posted the following..
PDP senators said let's summon the minister of petroleum, the change senators said no let's commend him for his efforts. #FuelScarcity
— Sen Godswill Akpabio (@SenAkpabio) November 24, 2015
