NLC to mobilise against removal of fuel subsidy

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will mobilise Nigerians against the planned the planned full deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector.

The congress’ President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, who made this disclosure in a statement yesterday, said “the statement by President

Goodluck Jonathan claiming that only the removal of fuel subsidy will allow for domestic
refining of fuel is highly disturbing.”

Omar said the crisis that would welcome any announcement of further withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products would be more monumental and more far-reaching than envisaged by anyone.
He added that the “January protests would be a child’s play compared to what might follow any attempt to deregulate the downstream sector of the oil industry.”

The government, according to the NLC boss, has more than enough reports and details to commence a honest process of punishing those in illegal possession of our collective wealth rather than inflict more pains on Nigerians, while industries and virtually all public infrastructures have collapsed.

The congress noted that the planned deregulation has been preceded by artificial fuel scarcity in most pasts of the country, stressing that despite the wave of revelations regarding monumental corruption in the petroleum industry, it will be unimaginable to contemplate any other thing than focusing on ridding the industry of the endemic corruption which he said has become so pervasive.

Omar therefore posited that Nigerians would love to see President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan dissipate energy on fighting corruption in the industry as he promised Nigerians.
He recalled that all those so far indicted of corrupt practices in the fuel subsidy scam have not yet been prosecuted.

“More revelations on corruption keep coming out by the day. The argument proffered that domestic refining of petroleum products is only possible under private operators cannot be defended. Our refineries were built and operated successfully as fully public owned enterprises in the past, and until the industry was massively inflicted with corruption and home for corrupt government officials and their cronies, the refineries functioned well,” he added

According to the NLC, the problem with the petroleum industry is largely lack of decency and political will on the part of the government to deal with those who have already been identified as having corruptly enriched themselves with funds meant for the industry.

While casting doubts on the honesty of Mr. President about the plan, Omar said: “We believe Mr. President is not being honest with Nigerians about the real problems of the industry. The same President who set up several committees to identify the crisis in the industry and who have been given detailed reports by the committees cannot validly say he is still helpless.