Strike: Petroleum Minister, NNPC GMD Shun Reps Probe Panel

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Thursday, September 18th, 2014

The Minister for Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, on Thursday failed to appear before the House of Representatives joint committees on petroleum and gas resources.

Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Diezani Allison-Madueke

The committees on Wednesday summoned the minister and others to explain the cause of the current fuel crisis in the country.

Others summoned were the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Joseph Dawah, and the leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, NUPENG, was also invited. The Chairman, Petroleum Resources Committee (Upstream), Muraina Ajibola, condemned the absence of the invitees, adding that the committees would not allow strike to cripple the nation’s oil and gas sector.

According to him, “we need to perform our duties as parliaments and ensure that the strike is brought to an end so that it will not affect other aspects of our economy. “There is need for us to know the causes so that we can prevail on Mr President and members of the executive council to look into those issues”.

The committees, therefore, re-summoned them to appear on September 23 at 11 a.m. “We have agreed to summon them again to appear before this joint committee to come and explain to Nigerians the causes of this reported strike so that we can intervene, make our inputs and appeal to the president and some other persons to take appropriate steps,” Mr. Ajibola.

PENGASSAN and NUPENG on Monday shut down operations nationwide over alleged irregular funding of their pension scheme.

Various petrol stations in Abuja recorded long queues with vehicle owners groaning over difficulties in buying fuel. (NAN)