Following approval of the subsidy payment by the National Assembly, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday assured Nigerians that the fuel scarcity would be over in a few days.

The minister, who spoke at Daily Trust in Abuja, also said the 2016 budget, to be submitted to the National Assembly soon, "will address the yearnings of Nigerians".

On fuel scarcity, he said: "We can confidently announce here today that the scarcity will end in a few days. Subsidy payment till the end of the year has been approved by the National Assembly. As you know we can't spend money without approval."

Mohammed explained that the N521 billion approved by the National Assembly, as part of the supplementary budget of N574.4 billion, would be enough to cover the fuel subsidy till end of the year.

He assured Nigerians that such scarcity would not repeat itself, saying: "We won't be caught in this kind of situation again."

Thanked the management and staff of the newspaper for the role they played in the general election.

"The sacrifice you made helped to bring about the change that Nigerians desired. You stood by the people when it mattered most, and we will continue to engage with you all through the tenure of this administration to exchange ideas in the interest of Nigerians," he said.

Mohammed announced a plan to set up an ad hoc committee, comprising representatives of the government, military and media to enhance the exchange of information, especially on the war against terrorism.

The minister was received by Mr. Kabir Yusuf, chairman/chief executive officer of the Daily Trust, who led a team of other top management officials.