ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – To end the long fuel queues across the country, the Federal Government has said it would commence payment of all outstanding debts owed the independent oil marketers on Thursday to facilitate free supply of petroleum
products
The Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki, said the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, would commence payment of debts owed the oil marketers.
The queues had returned to filling stations across the country, for almost two months, following the strike by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners and the threat by major oil marketers to stop importing fuel.
The marketers, it was gathered, had significantly reduced supply of the PMS to filling stations across the country, stating that this would continue until the arrears of the subsidy claims have been paid.
Akwashiki dispelled fears that the fuel queues would be inherited by the incoming administration of President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, noting that the country has enough fuel in its reserves to supply for the next 27 days.
“I want to assure that we have enough fuel to supply and the problem is not that we do not have fuel on ground, we have a problem with the tanker drivers and it bothers on non-payment. But from Thursday, the coordinating minister of the economy is going to start paying off some of the liabilities we have in that sector and it will ease off. But we
do have enough fuel on ground to last us for 27 days that I can assure you even if we are consuming four million litres per day” she said.
Akwashiki added however that “the problem we have is logistics and the problems with the unions and non-payment. So you don’t have to wait for Buhari Administration to fix it, we can fix it and we have been fixing it”.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting, swore in two federal commissioners.
Ambassador Toye Olofintuyi from Ekiti state was sworn in as Commissioner in the Civil Service Commission (FCSC), representing Ekiti, Edo and Ondo states.
Ambassador Abudullahi Shinkafi from Zamfara state was sworn in as Commissioner, Federal Character Commission.
In his remarks, Jonathan charged the two commissioners to bring their wealth of experience to bear in their new assignment.
According to him, the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Federal Character Commission are there to stabilise the country.
He explained that the civil service commission employs and disciplines the civil servants in terms of implementation of government services and programmes.
The President charged the Federal Character commission to do very well by encouraging and enhancing the unity of the nation and make all Nigerians have the belief that they belong to the country.