By Henry Umoru

When Senator Bukola Saraki, PDP, Kwara Central and Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, raised alarm in September last year that the Senate must investigate the operations of the fuel subsidy scheme with a view to determining whether it was still operated within the parameters of the law, it appeared that the former governor was joking.

Saraki did this through a motion titled ‘’A motion to investigate the Current Fuel Subsidy Management and Consider the Challenges it poses to the Implementation of the 2011 Budget.’’ where he raised it that 240 billion was budgeted for 2011, N931 billion spent so far, N771 billion at variance.

He argued brilliantly that for the implementation of the fuel subsidy, an amount is budgeted in the Appropriation Act and in 2011 the sum of N240bn (N20bn Monthly) was allocated, adding that of the N20bn monthly allocated, N11.2bn was allocated for Domestic Fuel Subsidy (NNPC) and N8.8bn for Domestic Fuel Subsidy (Market) as stated in the Appropriation Act 2011.

House of Representatives hijacks the public hearing
Though the Senate started it by making a very brilliant discovery, but it allowed the House of Representatives to hijack the public hearing on the management of fuel subsidy funds.

Faruk Lawan was appointed as Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and its proceedings lasted for three weeks with heavy dose of revelations from operators, government officials, private sector, among others.

Senate’s after thought on probe
Barely five days after the House of Representatives rounded off its investigation into the N1.7 trillion oil subsidy, the Senate took over and during the week carried out a similar investigation, though for two days with plans to continue with invitation of banks and some oil marketers.

Defending the Senate why the assignment must still go on when we have the same National Assembly which would have just called for harmonization, Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Appropriation and Finance, Senator Magnus Abe, PDP, Rivers South East, explained that the Senate was not prepared to interfere in the work of the House of Representatives hence it had to soft-pedal.

According to Abe, ‘’this investigation was on-going before the House of Representatives started its own; we decided not to interfere to allow the House to wind down. The Committee will conclude this investigation in accordance with our mandate.

It is therefore not appropriate for us to comment on the issue; what the National Assembly is concerned about is the people, we have the interest of the people; whatever will arise will be settled by the leadership of the National Assembly.’’

Fuel Scarcity and the Senate
Moved by the pains Ni gerians are presently going through, the Senator Magnus Abe led Committee on Petroleum, downstream immediately summoned the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to explain why there is scarcity of fuel and why Nigerians were going through difficulties to get the product.

But the oil marketers told the Committee that one of the reasons why the problem is on, is the fact that both the Senate and House of Representatives carried out a probe on the management of subsidy scheme.

The problem of scarcity must be addressed. Nigerians waste very serious productive hours at the filling stations – and these are very crucial hours that should be put into productive ventures. The Senate must go beyond summoning the stakeholders; Nigerians want results; Nigerians must not suffer especially now that there is pump adjustment from N65 to N97.

Mere apologia gives ambassadorial nominees clearance
The Senate had at its plenary of Wednesday 8th February, 2012, mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to carry out a re-sit and re-screen for Ambassadorial nominees – Mr. Mazi Okafor Mattias Ojih from Ebonyi State and Mrs Sifawu Inu-Umoru Momoh from Edo State. ‘The re sit was carried out on Tuesday, 14th Feruary in Senate Room 224, New Senate Wing at 12.30pm with six out of eleven members present.

At the end of the day, only apology for being nervous and non expression was the magic. Pronto, they were cleared. We are getting there, the more you look, the less you understand. Congratulations to the cleared ambassadors and best of luck.

Subsidy as a lazy man’s business
The Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil Nigeria limited, Ifeanyi Uba told the Committee that subsidy is a lazy man’s business, just as he said that his company did not benefit from subsidy, adding, “Subsidy is a lazy man’s job. It is not taking us to anywhere; it will bring trouble to us later. Subsidy is putting everybody in the same pace”