The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, to appear before its Committee on Petroleum Downstream tomorrow, over lingering fuel scarcity in the country.

Senator Jibrin Barau, the Chairman of the Committee, told journalists today in Abuja, that “after our on-the-spot assessment of filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory, we feel it is important that we summon the Minister, following the hardship on Nigerians.”

He added that “We have invited the minister of state to appear before the committee on Tuesday to tell us about the fuel scarcity problem and the strategy he is employing to solve it.

“We will expect him to give a date when the problem will be resolved permanently; this is the course of action we have taken. We are not satisfied because this problem has gone unabated for too long, and the situation is appalling.”

He said that the Ministry has been given enough time and space to put its act together to solve this problem and assured that “the Senate would take a strong position on the matter after hearing from the Minister.”

•Photo shows Dr Kachikwu.