NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday expressed concerns over the recurring scarcity of petroleum products, especially the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, known as petrol across the country, threatening to ask workers to stay at home should the scarcity continues. Congress in a statement insisted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, must immediately intervene in the current hardship imposed by the scarcity of products as this might hinder the ability of workers to get to their work stations, calling on government to restore sanity to the supply chain to save the citizens from unnecessary suffering and hardship. NLC in a statement by its factional President, Ayuba Wabba, said: “Nigerians are yet to be told what the cause of the current scarcity is; we however believe government will not allow any individual or corporate organisations sabotage efforts to restore sanity and good governance in all facets of our society as it is obvious the ongoing scarcity is calculated sabotage by petroleum marketers to sell the products at high prices for more profits. “Petroleum products, especially petrol is key to our economy as it is what powers commuters, including workers, offices and businesses. The delays motorists contend with in long queues at petrol stations have led to loss of unimaginable man hours which have impacted negatively on our economy. We therefore call on government to strongly intervene by sending out appropriate agencies, especially the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to enforce the sale of the products as some marketers have been reported to be hoarding the products.
According to the statement: “We restate our call for the speedy reactivation of local production of petroleum products as the country will continue to be held hostage by global economic manipulations if we remain tied to importation of petroleum products even when we have the resources to produce for local consumption and export. “While it is regrettable that bad governance, misplaced priorities and corruption has almost killed the petroleum industry, we believe a serious government can revamp the industry within one year.
There are examples of countries, especially neighbouring Republic of Niger, where one of the best refineries were built within a year. Nothing stops this government from doing same.” “In any case, despite their perilous states, we have it on authority that our four refineries are still one of the best in the world and can be turned around and even have its capacity upgraded; all that is required is to have effective Turn Around Maintenance conducted on them. The refineries are not beyond repairs. They have been abandoned to ensure Nigerians are ambushed by proponents of privatisation who believe every sector must be privatised. Those advocating for the sale of the refineries are waiting to buy them because they know the refineries are still one of the best. “Indeed, we believe the recurrent scarcity of petroleum products is part of the roadmap designed by forces who wish to hoodwink us into accepting privatisation of the refineries. We will not accept a situation where major oil companies operating in Nigeria will have refineries in other countries where they ship our crude for refining and sell what they refined from our crude through importers of petroleum products to our country. Why have they not built their own refineries in Nigeria?” NLC added: “It makes no common sense that this situation continues. While our resources are enriching other countries and creating jobs for citizens of other countries, our country and citizens are groaning under high currency exchange rates, deepening unemployment and infrastructural collapse.
Government must demonstrate seriousness in our collective affairs through decisive interventions in revamping the petroleum industry and stamping out corruption. “We can’t continue to be import dependent and expect our economy to grow. When ordinary citizens lament over the excruciating hardship unleashed on us by bad governance, what we expect is for our government to rescue us by rebuilding all infrastructures that have hindered our growth as a result of past neglect or deliberate damages done to them in the past.”
