Those affected by the no-holidays directive issued by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday are Petroleum Resources Minister Rilwan Lukman and Odien Ajumogobia as well as their counterparts in Power, Lanre Babalola and Nuhu Way.
''The Vice-President has directed that some ministers are not going on holidays because of the issue of fuel and power. They have meeting on Monday, 2pm, meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday that one we call mini-FEC (Federal Executive Council) but many of us won't be there. But the ministers of Petroleum, the Vice -President has openly told them that there is no holiday for them because they cannot afford to go on holidays when the people are suffering.
''They must stay back with him and find out ways of easing out the problems of Nigerians because Nigerians are suffering, we know that. We are worried; we are touched, but help us to do something systematic. If we just get angry we will not surf so many things", said Information Minister Dora Akunyili.
Nigeria has been in the throes of a debilitating fuel scarcity in the past few weeks, causing citizens untold hardship and raising the cost of living, especially transportation.
The country's power situation, epileptic at the best of times, has also grown worse in recent times, as the government admits failure in its pledge to provide Nigerians with 6,000 megawatts of electricity by the end of the year.
On Monday, the opposition Action Congress (AC) accused the federal government of being insensitive to the plights of Nigerians.
Abuja - Pana 24/12/2009
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