The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has promised that petroleum marketers will get the N413billion subsidy claims approved by the federal government next week after legislative approval.
He gave the assurance in a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday shortly after assuming duties as minister. “The money was approved by the president; but has not reached them physically because there is a process that our constitution requires in terms of approving those set of (extra-budgetary) expenditures,” Kachikwu explained.
According to him, the president is taking time to write the National Assembly to apprise them of need to do this. “Do we want to pay? Yes! Have we provided for the money? Yes! Do we need approval from outside the executive to recommend that? Yes! It is going through a process,” he said.
By Olisemeka Obeche