Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has promised that “by April 7th, there would be no more queue for fuel across the nation.” He made the promise today in Abuja while honouring the summon by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, which asked him to come and explain why the fuel queues have persisted across the country.

Kachikwu apologised to Nigerians for his earlier insensitive remarks about the lingering fuel scarcity, saying that his comments were just a side joke not intended for publication. He had reportedly said recently that he was not a “magician” while making comments on the issue after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and labour leaders in the oil industry.

He told the Senators: “Let me first admit that I am not a typically experienced politician. I am a technocrat. I come to work.

“I do apologise for the comment that I made jocularly with my friends in the press about being a magician and it offended Nigerians; it was not meant to be, it was a side jocular issue. I did go on to explain what needed to be done. I did not know that it would create the kind of hyperbole that it did.”

He added that he shared the pains of Nigerians, stressing that he is working all-day to monitor petroleum products supply, with a view to ensuring that the challenge is brought to an end.

He said that he continues to work hard with one sole purpose in mind to surmount the problems facing Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

Kachikwu, while responding to high profile people in the current government who want him to resign, maintained that there are still lots of work to be done and, as a result, he would not resign. He said: “All those who drove all the way to Abuja to call for my resignation are only wasting their time.”

•File Photo shows Dr. Kachikwu fielding questions from newsmen.

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