The Federal Government has blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s
administration for the worsening fuel scarcity in Nigeria.
Government Spokesman and Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
said Jonathan failed to make adequate provision for fuel subsidy in the
2015 budget.
He also explained that the Government of Buhari inherited the
vandalisation of the pipelines from the Jonathan’s administration, thus
making it impossible to transport the fuel to the respective distribution
points in the country.
Speaking to State House Correspondents, Monday, after the an rescheduled
emergency Federal Executive Council, FEC , meeting presided over by
President Muhammadu Buhari, Mohammed, alongside Minister of Budget and
Planning, Udoma Udo – Udoma, insisted that the fuel scarcity being
experienced now was as a result of inadequate provision for fuel subsidy
in the ongoing year by the Jonathan – led regime.
“One of the reasons for the fuel scarcity was the inability of the last
government to make inadequate provision for fuel subsidy.
“We do face some other logistic problems but majorly, we are paying for
the sins of the last administration .”
According to the Information Minister, the present administration made
sure that unlike before when the marketers used to import the major
percentage of the fuel, NNPC has been involved in importation, because
some of the marketers had stopped importing for a couple of months.
He stressed that the issue was not the non-availability of the product. He
said the issue lied with the distribution, because of pipelines that have
been vandalised besides the gridlock in Lagos, which he noted, usually
slowed down tankers distributing the commodity.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed further explained that it usually takes about five
days for anybody to take fuel with tanker in Lagos to any distribution
point in the country but disclosed that as at two days ago, the issue
resulting to such development had been resolved.
‘What I will be telling Nigerians is that what we met on ground is such
that we are paying for the sins of the last administration. I am being
very serious. You remember that about two weeks ago, we had to go to the
National Assembly for a supplementary budget of N674 billion.
“Of that figure, N522billion was for arrears of fuel subsidy which was
incurred as far back as August last year.
“The solution is what you have seen us doing. The first thing we have done
now is to make sure that unlike before when the marketers used to import
the major percentage of the fuel. NNPC has been involved in importation,
because some of the marketers had stopped importing for a couple of
months.”
“If you see any fuel anywhere today, it is imported by the NNPC. We also
inherited the vandalisation of the pipelines which has made it impossible
for us to even transport the fuel. In tanks today we have 14 days reserve
and off tank we have 10 days reserve.
“The issue is not non-availability of the product it is the distribution,
because of pipelines that have been vandalised and the gridlock in Lagos.
It takes about five days for anybody to take fuel with tanker in Lagos.
“As at two days ago this matter has been resolved. The Mosinmi pipeline
has been secured and it has lead to the improvement in the distribution,
“he said.