Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has expressed frustration with the lingering fuel crisis, accusing the executive arm of “betrayal”.
Dogara said coming after the government raised the price of petrol, with the assurance that subsidy had been removed and there will be no scarcity, the executive must give compelling reasons for Nigerians not to feel betrayed.
He expressed the determination of the House to investigate the lingering fuel scarcity and the alleged re-introduction of fuel subsidy in the country.
Dogara said this while welcoming members of House of Representatives from Christmas and New Year break.
He urged the lawmakers to work assiduously toward addressing economic and security challenges confronting the country.
“Indeed at no time in the recent past has the nation’s peace and unity been so vigorously and persistently challenged,’’ he said.
While describing the problems as daunting, Dogara said the unending fuel shortage recorded in the country in Dec. 2017, reached an unbearable level.
“The House expects that with the cooperation given to the executive arm to increase fuel price from N87 per liter to N145, based on the assurances, fuel scarcity ought to be a thing of the past.
“We were also assured that fuel subsidy had come to an end. From recent developments on this subject, except the executive adduces compelling reasons why the reverse is the case, we will be justified in feeling betrayed.
“As a parliament, we must unravel the causes of this scarcity and the alleged re-introduction of fuel subsidy,’’ Dogara said.
The Speaker urged all relevant Committees to get to the root of the issues through oversight functions to enable the House take an informed position on the situation.
On the spate of killings in the country, Dogara urged President Muhammadu Buhari to apply maximum sanctions on public officers who are derelict in the performance of their duties.
“The increase in violent crimes in the country is a result of the defects in the country’s security architecture which must be fixed.
“In the same vein, our security related Committees must aggressively conduct oversight of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and institutions handling security matters.
“This is with a view to detecting lapses in the operations of these security agencies and pro-actively ensure compliance with approved funds and procurement of appropriate equipment.
“We are all painfully aware of the wave of murders of innocent Nigerians that has been sweeping through the nation.
“From the senseless killings in Rivers State, to the killing rampages in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Adamawa, Edo and other states.
“Our dear country is now being painted red with the blood of the innocents on account of unremitting bedlam callously promoted by cold hearted merchants of death.
“At these moments of intense outpouring of grief across the nation, it is important that we shun buck passing and accept responsibility for these wanton killings without which we will never find a solution to this evil,’’ Dogara said.
NAN
