Presidency made no request to pay oil marketers, Senate counters Kyari

The Senate has denied an alleged claim by the Chief of Staff to
the President, Abba Kyari, that the National Assembly is
responsible for the delay in the payment of debt owed oil marketers
by the Federal Government.

The lawmakers denied any pending request to approve a loan for
the payment by the Presidency.

The Senate disclosed this on Wednesday night through a statement
issued by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi.

The statement read, “The attention of the Senate has been drawn
to a claim said to have been made by the Chief of Staff to the
President, Mallam Abba Kyari, during a meeting with stakeholders in
the oil industry on the perennial fuel scarcity in the country, to
the effect that the payment of debt owed oil marketers was being
delayed because the National Assembly has not approved request
presented to the legislature for loan meant for that purpose.

“The Senate want members of the public to know that no such
request has been made to it specifically requesting loan meant for
payment to oil marketers.

“The Senate is aware that subsidy on petroleum has been
cancelled by this administration; so, we wonder which payment we
are talking about now.

“Senators have been inundated with calls from oil marketers who
were present at the meeting with the Chief of Staff to the
President on the issue and thus, we call on Mallam Kyari to either
prove his claim or retract it.

“It should be noted that a similar claim was made by the
Minister of Finance on the foreign loan at a time the Presidency
had not forwarded the request. The letter requesting the foreign
loan was submitted long after she was confronted with the fact.

“It is the opinion of the Senate that instead of resorting to
false claims and shifting blames in the mould of ‘Blame Someone
Else,’ both the executive and legislature should work together to
solve this unnecessary fuel crisis which is making life more
difficult for our people.”

The Senate said it was the reason members of Committee on
Petroleum (Downstream) were mandated to suspend their recess and
embark on oversight visits to key areas in the sector, while it
would, tomorrow (Thursday), hold an investigative public hearing
with all stakeholders, aimed at finding solution to the fuel
scarcity.

The Senate has denied an alleged claim by the Chief of Staff to
the President, Abba Kyari, that the National Assembly is
responsible for the delay in the payment of debt owed oil marketers
by the Federal Government.

The lawmakers denied any pending request to approve a loan for
the payment by the Presidency.

The Senate disclosed this on Wednesday night through a statement
issued by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi.

The statement read, “The attention of the Senate has been drawn
to a claim said to have been made by the Chief of Staff to the
President, Mallam Abba Kyari, during a meeting with stakeholders in
the oil industry on the perennial fuel scarcity in the country, to
the effect that the payment of debt owed oil marketers was being
delayed because the National Assembly has not approved request
presented to the legislature for loan meant for that purpose.

“The Senate want members of the public to know that no such
request has been made to it specifically requesting loan meant for
payment to oil marketers.

“The Senate is aware that subsidy on petroleum has been
cancelled by this administration; so, we wonder which payment we
are talking about now.

“Senators have been inundated with calls from oil marketers who
were present at the meeting with the Chief of Staff to the
President on the issue and thus, we call on Mallam Kyari to either
prove his claim or retract it.

“It should be noted that a similar claim was made by the
Minister of Finance on the foreign loan at a time the Presidency
had not forwarded the request. The letter requesting the foreign
loan was submitted long after she was confronted with the fact.

“It is the opinion of the Senate that instead of resorting to
false claims and shifting blames in the mould of ‘Blame Someone
Else,’ both the executive and legislature should work together to
solve this unnecessary fuel crisis which is making life more
difficult for our people.”

The Senate said it was the reason members of Committee on
Petroleum (Downstream) were mandated to suspend their recess and
embark on oversight visits to key areas in the sector, while it
would, tomorrow (Thursday), hold an investigative public hearing
with all stakeholders, aimed at finding solution to the fuel
scarcity.