The Independent Marketers branch of the National Union of Petroleum Marketers and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to expedite action on the turnaround of the nation’s refineries.
The call according to the marketers, is predicated on its belief that the functionality holds so much potential in helping to reduce the hardship of the fuel subsidy removal being faced by the citizens.
The Independent Marketers made the call through their chairman, Comrade Oluleye Olayemi at the weekend, shortly after he was re-elected for a second term, after emerging unopposed alongside his other executive members during the 5th Quadrennial Branch Delegate Conference of the association which held at Jogor Event Centre, in Ibadan.
The association during the conference themed, Impact of deregulation on the oil and gas industry on effective and efficient depot representative functions.
disagreed with the views of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on why the nation’s refineries may never work, describing as appalling the situation when someone would say the refineries cannot work.
He added that as much as the association supports subsidy removal, government could have done it in phases after the refineries are made functional, adding that although there may be corruption in the system or process involved, with political will and sincerity, the government can see the turnaround of the refineries through.
He lamented that his members are worst hit as Independent Marketers as well as due to non functionality of many depots across the country.
“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 a right decision but the timing could have been deferred till the refineries become functional.
“Government should have built refineries in phases across the oil producing states and gradually remove subsidy. We are badly affected by deregulation. We appeal to government that they should expedite refineries turn around 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 depot, many people will be jobless,” he stated.
He also appealed to pipeline vandals to desist from the menace which he said is already rendering many people jobless, reiterating that “we appeal to disgruntled elements to desist from vandalising pipeline. The refineries can work.”
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