Nigerians deserve explanation on the 'illegal' reintroduction of fuel subsidy - Lawmaker tells FG
- A lawmaker has accused the federal government of illegally reintroducing subsidy on fuel
- Joseph Akinlaja said Nigerians deserve an explanation on the development and the 'illegal' reintroduction of subsidy on petrol
- Akinjala said the news on the payment on N26 on every litre of fuel came as a surprise to the House
The House of Representatives has accused the federal government of illegally reintroducing subsidy on fuel, Punch reports.
The House said Nigerians deserve an explanation on the development and the 'illegal' reintroduction of subsidy on petrol.
Speaking on the issue, the chairman of the House committee on petroleum resources (downstream), Joseph Akinlaja, said that the National Assembly did not appropriate the N26 on every litre of fuel sold to motorists.
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Akinlaja said the news on the payment came as a surprise to the House.
“I call it backdoor subsidy because as a legislature, we are not aware of the N26. The executive has assumed the role of the National Assembly through the NNPC.
“The executive is responsible for the execution of polices and the National Assembly has the role of making laws. As a legislature, we didn’t make any new law or appropriation of money in the name of subsidy on petrol.
“Who appropriated this N26 per litre? One million litres is equal to N26m and one billion litres is equal to N26bn. Is N26bn small money? Can N26bn be approved through Executive fiat or order? No!" he said.
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He also said that the House committee has been directed by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to join the Senate Committee on petroleum resources to investigate the cause of the current fuel scarcity in the country.
Akinlaja said: “We are starting the investigation on Wednesday. First, we will go round various service points to speak with other stakeholders and ask questions on why we have this scarcity. It is important for us to have that first-hand information.
“We will come back and sit for a public hearing the next day, being Thursday. All the stakeholders have been invited and we have to find answers to two issues.
“One is what has happened to the distribution system? Why is petrol scarce in spite of all the assurances given by the NNPC? The second one is how we came about the N26 the NNPC is paying on petrol," he added.
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that the oil marketers clash with the NNPC over the current fuel crisis in the country.
NNPC accused the marketers of hoarding fuel and refusing to pay the debt they owed the corporation.
However, confusion sets in as oil marketers under DAPPMA claimed they didn’t owe NNPC while their counterpart, MOMAN, admitted owing the corporation.
Fuel scarcity: This is getting too much for us - Nigerians lament - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng