…says local refining not deregulation answer to crisis
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has advised the Federal Government to address the situation as fast as possible or risk a mass revolt by the people against it. The NLC in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba issued on Friday in Abuja, noted that it had for a very long time predicted the current harsh realities and advised Government time and time again to rehabilitate existing refineries, construct new ones including modular refineries, to enable the country refine its petroleum products locally.
He noted that the scarcity and high prices of diesel and aviation fuel was proof that deregulation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was not going to solve the problems of petrol as consistently claimed by the government. “It is with great pain, sadness and alarm that the Nigeria Labour Congress observes the continued acute scarcity of petroleum products at different filling stations across the country.
“A crisis that started with the supply of sub-standard Premium Motor Oil (PMS) has now degenerated into a persisting scarcity of not only PMS but also other petroleum products such as Diesel and Aviation Fuel. Wabba on behalf of the NLC urged the Federal Government to make judicious use of the bumper harvest of petro-dollars to fix our oil refineries, adding that as a nation “We must re-think Nigeria’s hydrocarbon as a strategic asset for sustainable wealth creation and development.”