The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited’s management and President Bola Tinubu have been urged to act quickly to turn around the country’s refineries by the independent marketers branch of the National Union of Petroleum Marketers and Natural Gas Workers.
Its chairman, Comrade Oluleye Olayemi, made this appeal on Friday as he answered questions from reporters shortly after being elected for a second term.
Oluleye noted that the restart of the refineries would aid in easing the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidies among the populace.
However, he dissented from former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s remark that the nation’s refineries might never function. The former President’s statement, according to him, was horrifying.
He claimed that even though there might be corruption in the relevant system or process, the government could turn around the refineries with political will and sincerity.
He said: “The branch is in support of the position of the Nigerian Labour and NUPENG National Executive Council on the deregulation policy of the oil and gas industry.
“While the subsidy removal can be said to be the right decision, the timing could have been deferred till the refineries become functional
“The government should have built refineries in phases across the oil-producing states and gradually remove the subsidy. We are badly affected by deregulation. We appeal to the government that they should expedite action on the refineries’ turnaround and maintenance of our refineries.
“We are badly affected as many marketers are not loading and that affected our members who could not attend. Without renovation of the depot, many people will be jobless.”
