NUPENG Advocates Measures To Revamp Refineries

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has stressed the need for practical and pragmatic steps to be taken towards rehabilitating the existing refineries in the country before deregulating the downstream petroleum sector.

NUPENG’s National Executive Council (NEC) in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting held in Owerri, Imo State expressed their support for the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector but was quick to add that government should ensure that the four existing refineries were rehabilitated to ensure optimal capacity utilisation.

The communiqué which was jointly signed by Comrades Igwe Achese and Eljah Okougbo, president and general secretary respectively also said government should create an enabling environment to engender private, investors’ interest in building refineries for the purpose of improving the local refining capacity.

This, it said, would enable government meet the ever increasing local demand for petroleum products for export.

The oil workers enjoined government to pay more attention massive infrastructural development, repairs and construction of roads and modern railway system, expand energy generating capacity, embark on repairs and rebranding of petroleum products, pipelines network and depots to ensure reconstruct effective distribution of petroleum products.

The body urged the government to cushion the effect of deregulation on Nigerians by creating appropriate palliative measures and expressed displeasure over government’s insistence on kickstarting the deregulation process without proper arrangement.

“The NEC in session express total disappointment at the federal government’s attempt to deregulate the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry with the present situation of import drives petroleum supply, non-functional refineries, obsolete pipeline net works and depots, low local refining and inadequate energy generation capacity compiled with the dilapidated road network in the country”, the communiqué said.

According to the union, the petroleum industry Bill (PIB) when passed into low would ensure transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industry thereby culminating in increased investment and return but wondered why the procrastination of the reform of the industry.

The communiqué reads: “It is even more worrisome and disturbing that some versions of the bill are in circulation giving room for wide speculation and apprehension in the industry and the nation at large. The NEC in session therefore, calls on the National Assembly to make available the authentic version of the stakeholders make meaningful contributions”.

It further called on the National Assembly to immediately set in motion all the processes for the speedy passage of the bill actualise the much anticipated reform in the oil and gas industry.

Vivian Peace Nwinaene