The independent marketers segment of the National Union of Petroleum Marketers and Natural Gas Workers has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited to hasten the rehabilitation of the country’s refineries.
The call was made by the union’s chairman, Comrade Oluleye Olayemi, after his re-election for a second term on Friday. Oluleye emphasized that speeding up the refineries’ rehabilitation would alleviate the difficulties faced by citizens due to the removal of the fuel subsidy.
While Oluleye expressed disagreement with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s pessimistic views on the potential functionality of the refineries, he acknowledged the challenges posed by corruption. However, he believes that with genuine political intent, the refineries can indeed be revitalized.
Oluleye stated, “Our branch aligns with the Nigerian Labour and NUPENG National Executive Council regarding the oil and gas industry’s deregulation policy. While removing the subsidy may be a sound decision, its timing could have been better synchronized with making the refineries operational. A phased construction of refineries across oil-producing states before subsidy removal would have been ideal.”
He added that the current deregulation adversely impacts them, with many marketers not operating, causing a significant number of their members to be absent. He warned of the potential job losses without prompt renovation and maintenance of the facilities.