The House of Representatives has summoned the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Melee Kyari; and the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Nuhu Musa, to a meeting over the current scarcity of Jet-A1 also known as aviation fuel.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Wase, convened the meeting, scheduled for Thursday, based on a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, at the plenary on Wednesday.
The motion was titled ‘Urgent Need to Investigate the Sudden Scarcity and High Cost of Aviation Fuel Which Has Created an Existential Threat to Airline Operations and Requires Immediate Intervention by the Federal Government.’
Adopting the motion, the lawmakers urged the leadership of the House to “urgently intervene so as to resolve these challenges within 24 hours.”
They also resolved to direct the oil marketers to make Jet-A1 immediately available to airlines and discontinue the policy of upfront cash payment by airlines, in the interim.
Wase, who presided over the session, consequently called for a meeting with the GMD of the NNPC and the DG of NCAA.
Others to appear before the House include Jet-A1 marketers and airline operators.
The Deputy Speaker asked the chairmen of the House Committees on Aviation, Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to also attend the meeting.
Moving the motion, Nnaji noted that the current crisis in Eastern Europe had created a global tension, raising the cost of crude oil to over $125 per barrel at the international market, and spiking the prices of all petroleum products.
The lawmaker also noted that Nigeria imports 100 per cent of the Jet A1 (aviation fuel) used by airlines in its flight operations, warning that its astronomical increase in price could impede airline services.
He further noted that the unprecedented increase in the prices of all petroleum products was not taken into consideration, in view of the fact that about a year ago, Jet-A1 was selling for N190 per litre.
According to him, as of March 8, 2022, Jet-A1 was selling for above N600 per litre and that it was not readily available.
Nnaji said, “The House is concerned that the local oil marketers are demanding upfront cash payment before fuelling aircraft.
“The House observes that if urgent and immediate steps are not taken to ameliorate these challenges mentioned above, airlines and passengers will continue to suffer several consequential economic and travel crises that might lead to total shutdown of air transport services.”
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