AS a way of proffering solution to the lingering challenges in the petrole industry, former governorship aspirant in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has advised the federal government to fix all moribound refineries in the country.
Also, the Chairman of DAS Energy Services Limited, Warri praised the government for heeding the lamentations of Nigerians to suspend the fuel subsidy removal.
The social critic said the decision to suspend the planned fuel subsidy removal has saved the country from another round of protests that would have crippled the nation and thrown Nigerians into unnecessary hardship.
He advised the government to use the window of the suspension of the subsidy removal to fix the nation’s four refineries to work optimally.
He said,
The only way out of this subsidy issue is for the government to get the four refineries working at optimal level to bring the petroleum products prices to the barest minimum”
he said.
According to him, if the Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries are in good shape, the issue of paying fuel subsidy will be minimised or totally eradicated since the oil will be drilled and produced within Nigeria.
The PDP chieftain argued that the country has no reason for not bringing back its moribund domestic refineries adding that it is a shame for Nigeria to remain the only OPEC member that imports more than 90 per cent of its refined petroleum needs.
He maintained that the precipitous removal of fuel subsidy without making strategic plans or giving particular attention to the domestic refining is tantamount to strangulating hand-to-mouth Nigerians.
“Before the removal of the fuel subsidy in the future, it will indeed be a very good idea for Nigeria to go all out to resuscitate its four comatose refineries and embark on building new ones in order to mitigate the consequences of the withdrawal. The poser here is why Nigeria’s four ailing refineries are yet to be resuscitated?” he added.
