PLANNED NATIONWIDE PROTEST BY NLC OVER SUBSIDY IS A MISPLACED PRIORITY, Onuesoke Warns

Chief Sunny Onuesoke

"It is a shame to Nigeria as it remains the only OPEC member that imports more than 90 per cent of its refined petroleum needs." Onuesoke.

"If members of NLC mean well for Nigerians, they are expected to protest and declare a full strike for the renovation of the non-functional refineries in Nigeria instead of the removal of fuel subsidy from petroleum products."

The plan by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on a nationwide protest from January 27, 2022 over the Federal Government plan to remove subsidy from petroleum products, has been described as a misplacement of priority.

This was the assertion of a former gubernatorial aspirant in Delta state, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Sunny Okpako Onuesoke.

Chief Onuesoke stated this while addressing Media Correspondents in the oil sector in his office in Warri, Delta state.

According to the PDP chieftain, "if members of NLC mean well for Nigerians, they are expected to protest and declare a full strike for the renovation of the non functional refineries in Nigeria instead of the removal of fuel subsidy from petroleum products."

He opined that, "if the Warri, Port Harcourt (2) and Kaduna refineries are in good working conditions, the issue of fuel subsidy payments will be minimized or totally eradicated owing to the fact that the oil is drilled and produced within Nigeria.

“In essence, I expect the NLC to protest over the non-functionality of the Nation’s refineries and the twenty one  NNPC storage tank farms across the country. If NLC can push for the repairs of the refineries and that is done, the issue of fuel subsidy will be over. I wonder why they are all turning their eyes away from the reality.

“What is the need of having over four non-functional refineries that is gulping billions of naira annually? If those refineries are not working, if new refineries have not been built by the government, if we now have to import fuel from abroad including from nearby African countries that do not produce oil, there can be no justification for visiting the irresponsibility of the government on the Nigerian people?” He queried.

As a very concerned stakeholder in the 'Project Nigeria', Onuesoke argued that the country has no reason for not bringing back to life, its moribund domestic refineries.

"It is a shame to Nigeria as it remains the only OPEC member that imports more than 90 per cent of its refined petroleum needs."

"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." He maintained.

“Before the removal of the fuel subsidy, 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 is that Nigeria’s four ailing refineries are yet to be resuscitated?” he queried.

The PDP Chieftain advised that the  government should not impulsively withdraw fuel subsidy unless its entire four comatose refineries are resuscitated.

“President Buhari should shut his ears to the incessant destructive criticism of those egoistical and unpatriotic Nigerians who denunciate his commitment to resuscitate Nigeria’s ailing refineries and spare no effort to lay the foundation for actualising zero import target of refined products by 2024,” he advised