Three days after the Federal Government removed the subsidy on petrol, the House of Representatives adjusted its stance on the issue, claiming it had not taken a definite position on the issue.

In a fresh statement it issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the House said its position on the controversial policy would be guided by the majority opinions of members.

Members are currently observing the Christmas and New Year break and will reconvene on Tuesday, January 10.

The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Victor Ogene, signed Tuesday’s statement.

It read in part, “The House of Representatives has not taken any definite decision on the subsidy matter before it proceeded on recess on December 20, 2011.

“However, the House of Representatives would immediately upon resumption on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, commence exhaustive deliberation and consultation with other stakeholders on the issue, and wishes to assure all Nigerians that as the elected representatives of the people, the outcome will be reflective of the views of majority of members.”

The latest statement was contrary to the earlier position the House took on December 1 when it considered and approved a report on the medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper on the 2012 budget.

The report, a product of the House Joint Committee on Appropriation, Finance and Legislative Budget, opposed the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

Members in plenary, endorsed the report, describing any move by the Executive to remove subsidy as “premature.”

The House also kicked against the proposal of the President to use proceeds from subsidy removal to fund the deficit in the 2012 budget.

Part of the report adopted on December 1, reads, “The proposal on fuel subsidy removal, as contained in the revised Fiscal Strategy Paper, is premature.

“Sources other than relying on savings from proposed subsidy removal as part of financing items for expected deficit (of 2012 budget) should be explored.”

Besides, the Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, had consistently told Nigerians that the House was against the removal of subsidy on fuel.

Only last week, Mohammed had insisted that there was no going back on the opposition to the removal of subsidy.

“We are the representatives of the people; on this issue of subsidy. We are on the same page with the people of Nigeria,” he had said.

“If they support the removal of subsidy, we will support it, but so far, the opinion of the people is that they do not want subsidy to be removed.

“The House does not take a position that will add to the pains Nigerians are already facing,” he had said.

But, on Tuesday, his deputy, Ogene, said that the House had not taken a decision on subsidy.

Mohammed is currently out of the country.

Only on Monday, opposition lawmakers had vowed to do everything within their powers to stop Jonathan.

The Deputy Minority Leader, Suleiman Kawu, had called the removal of subsidy another form of terrorism against Nigerians.

He threatened that the House would use “the law” to stop Jonathan but did not give details.

-Punch

Posted by admin on Jan 4 2012. Filed under House, Legislature, Oil Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry