By Obiabin Onukwugha
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has stated that Nigeria’s refineries will not be allowed to waste away, given the huge investments made over many years. The President assured that in-depth research, restructuring, and leadership will reposition them to deliver value and profit.
According to a statement by the he Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu stated this when he received the National Executive of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its National President, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, at the State House, on Thursday.
The President, while responding to a request by NUPENG to revive the nation’s oil refineries, explained that the challenges confronting the refineries would be addressed through a systematic, evidence-based approach rather than short-term interventions.
According to him, the federal government will encourage detailed research and technical assessments to identify the structural, operational, financial and managerial challenges affecting the facilities and develop sustainable solutions.
“The refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work; we’re just
building a very firm, resetting, and structural reworking of the economy of it. Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built.
“I’m not a man who goes looking back on everything because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. No matter what has happened in the years past, it’s now my responsibility as president to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and we will do it.
“I will just appeal to all of you to let us work diligently and passionately on this democracy. Democracy is about celebration of freedom and opportunity that must be cherished by all of us, just like a painful childbirth, but the joy is everlasting and long. And I promise you, you will enjoy a better Nigeria,” Tinubu said.
He noted that the constitutional issues involved in its implementation are being reviewed for possible fine-tuning, and appealed for understanding among stakeholders.
The President also promised the NUPENG executives of more inclusion in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, and challenged them to make the impacts of the CNG drive get down to commuters.
Earlier, NUPENG President, Comrade Oladiti, commended the President for taking the bold decision to end the fuel subsidy regime, describing the policy as a courageous step that has saved the country from decades of financial drain and depletion of national reserves.
According to him, the decision to remove the fuel subsidy has begun to yield enormous benefits for the country by freeing resources for critical infrastructure development and other sectors of the economy.
He, however, appealed to the President to sustain efforts to revive the refineries, stressing that functional refineries would strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and create more opportunities for Nigerian workers.
