By Ken Afor
The Domestic Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria, DROAN, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to adopt the technical committee’s report on Subsidy Removal and Integration of Mini/Artisanal Refinery Operation into domestic oil refining.
The group made the call on Saturday at a press conference held shortly after its meeting in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.
According to Comrade Godwin Sunday, National Chairman, DROAN, the purpose of the press conference was to applaud President Tinubu for initiating the technical committee, which is led by Gabriel Aduda, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
While commenting on the country’s inability to produce petroleum products in large quantities, Comrade Sunday said that if the government encouraged domestic oil refining, it would lessen the burden on Nigerians and businesses that spend a lot of money to run their generators and keep their vehicles on the road. This is because the prices of the products will be reasonable.
His words: “DROAN made comprehensive and technical contributions to the committee on the way forward regarding artisanal refining. As a nation largely dependent on imported refined petroleum products, our economy will not get better.
“It is also a fact that we cannot completely rely on the strength of the much talked-about private owner refineries to avoid unnecessary monopoly. It is important to note that co-producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Canada, Venezuela etc are running multiple crude oil refineries.
“We therefore use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the concept of artisanal small scale in-country refining of our crude oil will not only crash the prices of PMS, AGO, DPK, etc, but also guarantee availability of refined petroleum products and encourage healthy market competition
“Small scale refining will equally generate employment for our Young professionals. It will engage the services of both skilled and unskilled labourers, and thereby reduce unemployment”
Sunday went on to say that artisanal oil refiners deplore environmental pollution and the detrimental effects that oil exploration has on the Niger Delta’s ecosystem, and that they will always fight against illicit oil refining, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and youth unrest.
He however blamed the government for the region’s ongoing illegal oil refining and pipeline vandalism, stressing, “We have contacted sensitisation/orientation programmes for our members across the creeks of Niger Delta. We have also directed them to stand down their activities.
“We have done these for the past four years. However, lack of government attention, adequate measures and failure to accede to our demands prompted few to still hold unto illegal Oil refining, pipeline vandalism, among others.
“It is on record that DROAN has engaged with the Federal Government at different fora on the issue of integration and legalization of artisanal oil refining in Nigeria.
“And we are appealing to President Tinubu to give every Nigerian, equal opportunity. We will not rest until we salvage our people from the doldrums of poverty and the downgrade in the Oil and gas sector.”
