Fuel Scarcity To End Before Weekend,FG Orders Kachikwu To Action

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has been ordered by the federal government to ensure that the fuel scarcity currently being witnessed across the country does not extend beyond this weekend.

The directive was given to the minister on Wednesday during the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Osinbajo, chaired the meeting in the absence of the President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on official visit to Kano State.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the government’s position known while answering questions from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

He said Kachikwu was initially scheduled to join him at the briefing but could not do so because he needed to attend an important meeting as part of efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.

Mohammed allayed the fears in some quarters that the government might be planning to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit.

He added that Kachikwu assured members of the council that the country has enough PMS that can last till the end of January 2018.

The minister said, “One, the government has no intention at all to increase the pump price of PMS.

“Two, the minister (Kachikwu) assured the council that we have enough products till the next one month even till the end of January.

“Thirdly, this is winter period. There is always more demand for refined products from petroleum during winter period in the colder countries, this is what we are experiencing now.

“The council gave him a matching order that this fuel scarcity should not last beyond this weekend and they are going to work very hard to ensure that it is curtailed. He assured council that there is actually no cause for alarm.”