Kunle Akogun
29 June 2011
In a dramatic departure from old procedure, the Senate Wednesday started the instalmental confirmation of ministerial nominees, as the first set of seven that was screened got the senators’ nod.
Those screened and cleared Wednesday were all ministers in the last administration.
They are immediate past Ministers of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke (Bayelsa); Niger Delta Development, Elder Godsday Orubebe (Delta); Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu (Abia); Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi); Education, Prof Ruqayat Rufai (Jigawa), FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (Ekiti).
The nominees who were led into the chamber one after the other by Senator Joy Emordi, Special Adviser-designate to the President on National Assembly, were subjected to series of questions by the senators.
Answering questions during her screening , Allison-Madueke assured the senators that importation of refined petroleum products would cease by 2014, as all the nation’s refineries would have been fixed and would be producing at optimum capacity by then.
She said already, the four refineries at Port Harcourt, Eleme, Warri and Kaduna, are now working at 60 per cent capacity as against the 32 per cent capacity she met when she became petroleum minister last year.
She disclosed that the government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chiyoda and another Japanese company to undertake the turn around maintenance of the refineries, adding that the companies have promised to complete the project in three years.
Allison-Madueke, who also said three new refineries are being built in Kogi, Lagos and Bayelsa states, disclosed that “in three years time, Nigeria will be a net exporter of refined products and stop importing”,
On the on-going debate over the removal of petroleum subsidy, the ministerial nominee said “right now government budget can hardly afford continuous subsidy”, which she put at N1 trillion per year.
On the biting kerosine scarcity in the country, Allison-Madueke blamed it on round tripping, saying the country produces 11 million litres of the product daily as against the eight million litres consumption rate in the country.
She however said due to the fact that the same grade of domestic kerosine is also used as aviation fuel, some middle men take delight in diverting the product meant for domestic consumption to the aviation sector where they make more money.
On the recent attack on her in the media, she explained that it was because of her stepping on some powerful toes in the course of her reform agenda in the oil industry.
“It is unfortunate that in this country, if you move certain reforms or move to uphold certain laws, you step on some toes and this is used against you”, she lamented.
On the oil exploration in the northern part of the country, the former petroleum minister told the senators that a team of experts under the leadership of Prof. Ajekeye, a professional geologist was working hard on the project and that in the next 24 months Nigeria will hit oil in the Chad.
The ministerial screening continues Thursday.
Also Wednesday, the Senate approved request by President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint 20 Special Advisers
AllAfrica – All the Time
Taken from:
Senate Confirms Allison-Madueke, Orubebe, Five Others As Ministers