Lagos – The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to embark on massive importation of petrol to complement local refineries’ production.
Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South West Chairman of the union, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Korodo said that this became necessary because what the nation was producing locally was not enough for consumption.
“Presently, we have a big hole in the system and this big hole had been drained up.
“This big hole has to be filled up before we can say anything about sustainability and reserve.
“NNPC should therefore complement the local production because what we are producing is not enough for our daily consumption.
“With this massive production, independent marketers too will have petrol in excess and this will force them to sell at control price,” he said.
Korodo said that it was only when petrol was available that agencies like the Department of Petroleum Resources could clamp down on those selling above controlled prices.
“We believe in the sincerity of the present administration in ensuring good governance to our people, but it is time we find lasting solution to this scarcity,” he said.
The chairman urged the government to work with other stakeholders in the sector to end the scarcity.
The former spokesman of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Oluwaseyi Gambo, urged government to ensure regular supply of crude oil to local refineries.
According to Gambo, this will enable the nation’s refineries to work optimally and contribute to their production to end fuel scarcity.
He said that refined products would be sufficient when Dangote Refinery began operation by 2018.
“As at now our local production capacity is 10 million litres per day but by the time this new refinery starts production, we will be self sufficient locally,” he said.
Gambo, however, said that the nation currently depended solely on importation of petrol.
He assured Nigerians that with the arrival of many vessels with petrol, fuel queues would soon end. (NAN)
