FG: Petroleum Ministry, NNPC Working Hard to End Fuel Shortages

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, thursday in Abuja said both the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were working assiduously to put paid to the lingering fuel shortage ravaging the country.

Mohammed made the terse submission while responding to a question on government decision on the lingering fuel shortage pervading the country during briefing at the end of a two-day Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House thursday.

In his own briefing, the Minister of State for Environment, Usman Jibrin, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a memorandum for the review of National Biceptive Management Agency Act.

The minister who also said the council approved a memorandum for the engagement of consultants to supervise, monitor and evaluate a framework for hydrocarbon remediation projects in Rivers State, added that the National Biceptive Management Agency is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that products with genetically modified organisms which come into the country are safe for citizens’ consumption.

He said: “The Federal Ministry of Environment presented two memos to council. One was taken yesterday and one was taken today. The one taken today was a policy memo seeking council approval for the revision of the National Biceptive Management Agency Act.

“The National Biceptive Management Agency is an agency under the Ministry of Environment charged with the responsibility of monitoring and supervising the use of genetically modified organisms in the country.
Most of the time, people tend to mix this agency up with another sister agency in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. The one under Technology Ministry is charged with the responsibility of carrying out research and coming up with breakthroughs.

“The one under the ministry is a regulatory agency charged with the responsibility of checking products with genetically modified organisms which will come into the country to ensure that they are safe for consumption. This policy – the first that we had was in 2006 – had been around before the establishment of the agency… The ministry is to review it as technology is advancing. “The policy is meant to put in place regulations and ensure that our people are safe.

“The second one taken thursday was about hydrocarbon remediation project in Rivers State where approval was given for engagement of consultants to supervise, monitor and evaluate a proper framework that is put in place to assist in supervising and actualising the clean up,”

Also briefing, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the council also approved a memorandum by his ministry for the endorsement of regulations to forestall the practice of veterinary medicine by unqualified veterinary doctors in the country.

“This afternoon (yesterday), we presented a memorandum to the council relating to Veterinary Council of Nigeria which has been in existence since 1953 and under the provisions of the law setting it up, the council members are from time to time improve regulations on veterinary practice so that people who are not qualified as veterinary doctors do not operate in the country.

“The regulations had been submitted to the council and the council approved them for the president to endorse so that those regulations can be put into practice for the protection of livestock,” Ogbeh said.