The Independent Marketers Branch of the National Union of Petroleum Marketers and Natural Gas Workers has made an appeal to President Bola Tinubu and the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited. They’ve requested an expedited action on the turnaround of the nation’s refineries.
This appeal was voiced by Comrade Oluleye Olayemi, the chairman of the branch, during a press interaction after his re-election for a second term.
He pointed out that revitalizing the refineries would play a crucial role in mitigating the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies among the citizens.
However, he disagreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had stated that the nation’s refineries might never work again. Olayemi found this statement by the former President to be disheartening.
He expressed his belief that, despite potential corruption in the system or process, with political will and sincerity, the government could oversee the turnaround of the refineries.
Olayemi also emphasized the branch’s support for the Nigerian Labour and NUPENG National Executive Council’s stance on the deregulation policy of the oil and gas industry.
While acknowledging the removal of the subsidy as a necessary decision, he suggested that the timing could have been deferred until the refineries became fully operational. He advocated for the government to build refineries incrementally across the oil-producing states and gradually remove the subsidy.
Olayemi highlighted the adverse impact of deregulation on many marketers and depot operations, leading to potential job losses. He urged the government to expedite the revitalization and maintenance of the nation’s refineries to address these challenges effectively.
