PENGASSAN condemns planned sale of refineries, subsidy removal

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has condemned plans by the Federal Regime to sell oil refineries in the country to private investors

The President, PENGASSAN, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, verbally expressed that private sector-operated refineries could lead to exploitation of the citizens in terms of high retail prices.

He verbally expressed, “We condemn vehemently endeavors by regime to sell the four state-owned refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri after failed endeavors to carry out Turnaround Maintenance on them. If we leave the petroleum products we utilize every day entirely to the private sector, there is possibility of exploitation, because they may decide to sell at exorbitant prices.

“The regime should not give the refineries funds again but they should go to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and banks to raise mazuma.”

According to Ogun, the body is optically canvassing the endeavors by the Bureau of Public Enterprises to go ahead with the sale of the refineries in spite of labour’s protest and accedence with the regime.

He additionally verbally expressed that it had become arduous to ascertain the amount of subsidy paid by the regime for petroleum products for two years that the board of the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency had been dissolved, integrating that the regime should immediately reconstitute the board and channel funds in the right direction.

“Some people are benefitting while we the ones fighting for the subsidy to be retained are not. If the regime can build airports for some people to fly, why can’t they build railway to convey petroleum products? They should ascertain that the mazuma is channelled into what we can benefit from,” Ogun verbalized.

FROM PUNCH.