Nigeria says strike by oil marketers blackmail

Oil marketers indicted in the Aig-Imokhuede report on fuel subsidy payments are behind the planned nationwide strike, the Federal Government said in a statement Wednesday as petrol stations in and around the Federal Capital Territory closed their gates against motorists.

“It is clear that the strike was instigated mainly by marketers who were indicted by the Aig-Imoukhuede Committee which investigated fuel subsidy payments,” Paul Nwaibukwu, Senior Special Assistant to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, said in the statement he issued on behalf of his boss.

He added in the statement that it is only the marketers whose claims have been recommended for further investigation by the Aig-Imoukhuede Presidential Committee that have not been paid.

While appealing to Nigerians not to be deceived by the “antics” of the indicted marketers, Nwaibukwu said in the statement that “Federal Government is determined to ensure that persons and organisations which did the wrong things do not get away with wrong actions and wrong behavior,” in accordance with its zero tolerance to corrupt persons and organisations.

Also, while disputing claims by marketers that they are not being paid the subsidy they are entitled to, Dr. Yerima Ngama, Minister of state for Finance, said that a total of N42 billion has been paid to 31 oil marketers as subsidy payments.

The minister who spoke after the monthly Federations Account Allocation Committee meeting in Abuja said: “In all, between April and August this year, in respect of 2012 PMS claims, Sovereign Debt Notes amounting to N42.666 billion have been issued to 31 oil marketers”.

Ngama also said the proposed strike is a ploy by indicted oil marketers to blackmail government and avoid punishment on the crimes they have committed.

Some oil marketers placed advertorials in some newspapers today in which they accused the Federal Government of failure to pay them the subsidy payments they are entitled to since the beginning of the year.

The marketers consequently gave the government seven days to pay the subsidy in the advertorial.

But petrol stations in Abuja took motorists by surprise when they suddenly shut their taps, leading to unprecedented fuel scarcity in the city.