LAGOS SEPTEMBER 20TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain  and former Delta State Gubernatorial aspirant,  Chief Sunny Onuesoke has thrown his weight behind the call of Delta State Governor  Rt (Hon) Sheriff Oborevwori  demanding for the revitalization of Nigeria ailing refineries instead of depending on importation of fuel products.

Recall that  Oborevwori on Tuesday  urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to work towards revitalising the nation’s refineries, insisting that Nigeria has no reason to import petrol with its cost implications on the economy. 

The Governor who made the call when he received the National Executive Committee of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) led by the National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha at Government House, Asaba  argued that  there was no justification for an oil producing nation with four refineries to resort to fuel importation for its local consumption.

Reacting to  Oborevwori’s call while addressing a press conference at Asaba, Delta State, Onuesoke   said he is solidly in support of the Governor’s demand stressing that  it make no sense for Nigeria to import  fuel when the country has abundant crude oil and four refineries that are lying fallow.

He argued that Nigeria has four refineries and none is refining crude oil, adding that Federal Government still pays a huge sum on importing finished oil products.

According to him,”It is a shame that in spite of Nigeria having four refineries controlled by NNPC, none of them is producing fuel either for internal consumption or exportation for commercial gains, while at the same time the Federal Government is  celebrating  the take off  of a private refinery where it is expected to save $10bn from importation of oil.

“Before the coming of this new Government, I did advised that with the current economic situation in the country, removal of fuel subsidy would cause more hardship for Nigerians, especially the common man, if the refineries are not fixed. My advised was ignored. Now look at the economic mess the removal of the subsidy without fixing the refineries has put the nation.”

Wondering  how Nigeria would have surplus crude oil and still been starved of the product, the PDP Chieftain explained that  if the refineries were working, Nigerians can refine the crude oil within as it is being done in other oil-producing countries and get it cheaper  instead of importation of the product  at inflated price.

Onuesoke recalled that  APC   fought former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government because of the planned removal of fuel subsidy then, adding that it was amazing that after ruling for over  eight years they  decided to remove the subsidy without putting the normal thing in place by revitalizing the refineries so as to ameliorate the impact of the removal it will  have on the masses .

“A lot of things have been happening. For years, our refineries have been down and nobody talks about how we can put our refineries to use; instead, we are importing petroleum products.

“This is also biting on the economy of this country. Look at the prices of things which have gone up because we are not producing. If we were producing, we won’t have these challenges,” he lamented.

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