NUPENG, IPMAN Lament Crude Oil Scarcity

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), have lamented the lack of crude oil for refineries in Nigeria.

The unions say the focus of the Federal Government on crude oil export and importation of the finished product, petrol (PMS) is putting their members out of business and draining the country’s economy.

Speaking in different interviews with newsmen in Port Harcourt last week, they said refineries in Nigeria have the capacity to refine crude oil locally if the Federal Government provides the necessary potential.

The national President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese said that workers in the oil industry are committed to ensuring that products allocated to them are refined locally and called on the Federal Government to stop the sale of crude oil and put the refineries in the country in order.

The branch Chairman of IPMAN, Port Harcourt unit, Charles Ayigbemi noted that the banks have also refused to give loans to importers of petroleum products to sustain their businesses.

“We have been negatively affected by the challenge of non-availability of crude oil, so we join NUPENG to call on the Federal Government to please intervene in the issue in order to make crude oil allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery and others not to be sold any more”.

He stressed: “as businessmen, some of my members have gone to the bank to borrow money and they are expected to pay back this money and make profit as business people”.

Shedie Okpara