A Senior Advocate Of Nigeria (SAN), Monday Onyekachi Ubani on Thursday urged the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri to find a lasting solution to the lingering fuel crisis in the country before December.
Speaking in an interview with TheScrutiny, Ubani said the crisis, which has already made unbearable for Nigerians will become worse in December when many Nigerians usually travel by road for the festive season.
According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and petroleum marketers should respond to the remarks made by Aliko Dangote calling on them to source petrol directly from his refinery to meet local demands as his refinery currently holds 500 million litres in reserve.
“If Dangote says he has enough fuel, NNPC and the marketers should respond to that and tell Nigerians why they are not buying from him”.
“What is worrisome about this fuel crisis in Nigeria is that we have said subsidy has been removed and the price is no longer what it used to be. Yet, we are still finding it difficult to get the product at the filling stations. We still have long queues in Abuja, Lagos and other places. So, I am beginning to wonder, what is the issue? The NNPC has assured us that there is enough fuel in the reserves and people should stop panic buying”.
“Unlike before when we have the scarcity and it goes away, today it has become a lingering issue. There is scarcity despite the fact that the price of fuel has skyrocketed. So, there is punishment for high pricing and there is also punishment for non-availability of fuel coupled with time wasting on queues. When you put these into account, you can imagine what has happened to the economy generally”.
“I think that the Minister of Petroleum should speak to Nigerians on what is actually happening with regards to the scarcity. He should also address the issue of the private investor whom we praised to the high heavens that with Dangote’s entry into the oil sector, we will stop importation and then begin to have the products at a cheaper price because we will no longer add all the prices that accompanies importation of fuel”.
“I will also advise that this price crisis should end. We entering into December and people will travel during the festive season by road. We shouldn’t compound the problem of Nigerians who are going through hard times. Everything must be done in order to alleviate the sufferings of the people. We should reduce the level of hardship that Nigerians are going through”.
