President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the country’s refineries will soon return to operation, saying the Federal Government is working on a broader restructuring of the petroleum sector to make the facilities profitable and productive.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday when he received the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The President also expressed concern that the benefits of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) were not reaching ordinary Nigerians as quickly as expected, saying much of the gains were being retained by truck owners.
“Whatever benefit is coming from CNG is going into the pockets of truck owners. It’s not spreading as fast as I would like, but it should spread.”
On the refineries, Tinubu said the government was focused not just on restarting the facilities but ensuring they operate sustainably and generate value for the country.
“The refineries you mentioned are going to come back to work.”
He explained that simply seeing smoke or flames from a refinery should not be regarded as proof that it is functioning effectively, stressing that the facilities must become profitable and deliver the value for which they were built.
Tinubu also defended the removal of fuel subsidy, recalling the resistance and strike threats that accompanied the policy when he announced it.
He said the financial restructuring resulting from the policy was helping governments fund salaries and major infrastructure projects, including several federal highways.
“I take responsibility for that, and I’m going to do it.”
The President promised that his administration would continue working towards improving the economy and creating better conditions for Nigerians.
Meanwhile, NUPENG President Salimon Akanni Oladiti urged Tinubu to intervene in the growing issue of worker casualisation in the oil industry, particularly in the upstream sector.
Oladiti said the union had engaged some oil companies over the matter without achieving the desired results and appealed to the President to use his office to address the practice.
“Mr. President, we urge you to use your good offices to stop the casualisation of workers in our sector.”
The NUPENG president also commended the Federal Government’s highway rehabilitation projects, saying improved roads would make transportation safer for petroleum tanker drivers.
He further appealed to Tinubu to revive the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company depots across the country, arguing that functional storage facilities would complement ongoing efforts to restore the nation’s refineries.
Oladiti suggested that some of the depots could be handed over to private investors under an equity arrangement to improve their management and operations.
Source: Statements by President Bola Tinubu and NUPENG President Salimon Akanni Oladiti at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
