Fuel scarcity: Nigerians did not elect us to give excuses – Lai Mohammed

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture on Friday said that Nigerians did not vote in the All Progressives Congress to give excuses over the lingering fuel scarcity.The Minister while interacting Journalists in Yola said, “Yes, we appreciate the feelings of Nigerians. We also go through it, because we are not immune to it. As a responsible government. A government that was propelled to power by the votes of the people we cannot give excuses but empathize with them. And this government is working 24 hours to ensure that this problem is resolved,” he said.

Lai Mohammed who followed the presidential entourage led by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, that attended the wedding ceremony of the son of the Adamawa state Governor, Senator Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, reiterated that the fuel crisis would soon be over.

The minister noted that the All Progressive Congress led administration is a responsible government and that it is doing everything possible to ease the current suffering resulting from fuel scarcity.

He mentioned that the Federal government is working to ensure that in the next two weeks, the fuel will be made available to all parts of the country.

According to him, the government had already taken some steps which are short term, some medium term and some longer term. “Because the question will be what are we doing to alleviate this problem because that is what concern Nigerians.”

Part of the measures he highlighted includes the government’s appeal to the oil marketers to make forex available to their companies operating in the downstream sector of the oil industry, adding that the difficulties encountered in getting foreign exchange was partly to blame for the fuel crisis.

Lai Mohammed, noted that other measures taken by the federal government is to open up the sector for smaller modular oil farms to be set up.

He however stressed that the government is not unaware that the ultimate is for the country to be self-sufficient in the production of the commodity. He added that once the government gets this done, it would solve the problem of the fuel crisis and thus alleviate the sufferings being faced by Nigerians.