Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, has appeared before the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).
Kachikwu said that his comment that he is not a magician to cause fuel queues to disappear overnight was not meant to insult Nigerians.
He said the “I’m not a magician” comment was made jocularly and never intended to slight Nigerians.
Nigerians from all works of life had demanded for an apology from the minister for making the said statement.
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said he is working round the clock to find a lasting solution to the fuel crisis.
He then gave his word that fuel queues will be a thing of the past in seven days.
Kachikwu said: “I share the pains of Nigerians. I feel that pain everyday when I walk the streets. On Easter day, I was in Lagos monitoring fuel distribution and the depots. I have given 24 hours attention to the problems.
“I have continued to work with one sole purpose which is that every problem must have a solution and I think that is the reason I was picked.
“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.
“Let me first admit that I am not a typically experienced politician. I am a technocrat. I come to work.“Some of the phraseologies that I may use, while being acceptable in the arena in which I play obviously will not be acceptable in the public political arena.
“So if anybody’s sensibilities were offended by those, I totally apologise.”
”I share the pains of Nigerians. I feel that pain everyday. I worked the streets and those who are following my trajectories since I resumed office would see that even on Christmas Day, I was at the refineries.
“Like I said on the Easter Day, I was in Lagos, monitoring fuel distribution at the depots. I have given 24/7 attention to the problem in this industry which were unbelievable.
“I have continued to work with one sole purpose in mind, which is that every problem will have a solution.
”I am a very humble person even imagining the thought that I dictate to Nigerians. I am not somebody like that.”
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