The Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Rilwan Lukman yesterday defied the ban placed by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan on ministers and top officials in the Petroleum and Energy ministries from Christmas holidays until the current fuel crisis is resolved.

Minister of Information and Communication, Professor Dora Akunyili announced the travel ban, at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

However, Peoples Daily authoritatively confirmed that Dr. Lukman flew on a British Airways flight, which took off at 10am yesterday, from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to arrive at the London Heathrow Airport at about 3pm Nigerian time.

Our reporter gathered reliably that Dr. Lukman had on his entourage one of his unnamed aides.

An official of a key agency in the petroleum industry who pleaded anonymity said when contacted last night that the minister left the country for a meeting of the Organisation of

Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Attempts to get the official response of the information minister to the development last night, failed.

When our reporter called Professor Akunyili on phone, a female voice said the minister could not answer the call as she was far away.

Subsequent calls to her mobile line about an hour later were neither answered nor returned. Also, a text message sent to the minister’s mobile phone was not replied.

Disturbed by the perennial fuel scarcity in the country, the Vice President  on Wednesday ordered petroleum and energy ministers, as well as other key petroleum and energy ministry officials and those of their agencies in the country not to travel for the Christmas holidays outside Abuja until solution was found to the persistent fuel crisis.

Prof. Akunyili, who briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting said: “Today, the Vice President has directed some ministers that they are not going on any holiday because of these fuel and power problems.

“This is because they cannot afford to go on holiday when the people are suffering. They must stay back with him (Vice President) in easing out the problems of Nigerians. Nigerians are suffering, we know that and we are worried, we are touched,” she said.