Boko Haram attacks halt Reps’ subsidy probe

Posted by admin House, Legislature Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Farouk Lawan

The investigations by an ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives into how fuel subsidy funds are utilised in the country were suspended on Monday owing to Friday’s bombings in Kano.

Several accounts indicated that about 200 people were killed in the coordinated multiple attacks by Boko Haram.

The committee headed by Mr. Farouk Lawan abruptly suspended its scheduled public hearing for Monday to allow some members from Kano State to visit the city and commiserate with the families of the victims.

Our correspondent learnt that many agencies and personalities had been scheduled to testify before the committee on Monday before the sitting was suspended.

The source said, “The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar; the President of the Trade Union Congress, Peter Esele; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, were invited to appear before the committee today (Monday).

“Some marketers, who benefited from the Petroleum Support Fund (fuel subsidy) and other stakeholders were also scheduled to testify today but that is no longer possible.”

It was learnt that Lawan, who is from Kano State, joined the entourage of the President of the Senate, David Mark, and the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, to Kano to commiserate with the families of those kiled in the blasts.

Our correspondent learnt that the panel would reconvene today.

Lawan confirmed the suspension of Monday’s hearing when contacted.

He said, “I am in Kano. I joined the Senate President and the Speaker to visit Kano over the incident that occurred on Friday.

“The committee will resume sitting on Tuesday to continue with the investigation.”

The NLC and TUC leadership had called for a nationwide strike to oppose the removal of fuel subsidy.

The strike was called off last Monday after the government pegged pump price of petrol at N97.

Organised labour has always defended the retention of subsidy on the grounds that government’s inefficiency and weak controls were responsible for the problem in the sector.

It had argued that government could address the problem by identifying and prosecuting the cabal said to be milking the industry.

Omar and Esele were expected to give Labour’s perspective to the investigation on Monday but for the decision of the committee to put off the hearing.

On Thursday, the committee established that Nigeria imported and paid subsidy on 24 million litres of petrol in excess of the 35 million litres required for daily consumption.

-Sunwp_posts