The Integrity Youth Alliance has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress to shut down the Petroleum Industry Act instead of shutting down Nigeria.
In a press release on Sunday, 2nd January 2022 signed by the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga, he said that subsidy removal is a constitutional matter; based on the signing of the Petroleum Industry Act in August 2021 by President Buhari.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress insistence that workers and masses will not accept any further increase in the pump price of fuel in the name of subsidy removal, urging workers and the citizens to prepare for total war against the fuel price hike is a mere waste of threat, the statement said.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress should rather go to the National Assembly to shut down the PIA since they couldn’t do that during the public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Act in showing their displeasure against subsidy removal when the debate was on and opportunity given to Nigerians to make input,” the statement said.
“It will be a constitutional breach for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to subsidize fuel from February 2022 because there is no provision for subsidy in the Petroleum Industry Act,” the statement reiterated.
Even though the Nigeria Labour Congress raised concern on the deceit and duplicity associated with the politics of “petrol price increase” by successive Nigerian governments, the present Government has done a lot to have a steady Petrol price.
The statement reads, “Since the assumption of office of the GMD/CEO of the NNPC Limited, Mal Mele Kyari has turned around the fortune of the Company through constant publications of the NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) with the 72nd edition of the Report released on Wednesday, 22nd December 2021.
“Known for loss making in the past 44 years of its existence, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited according to its 2020 Financial Report declared a N287 billion Profit After Tax (PAT) all under the management of Mal Mele Kyari.
“It is on record that the management of the NNPC Limited under Mal Mele Kyari signed the signed Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) activities for a full rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery complex by Tecnimont S.p.A.
“It is also on record that on Wednesday, 8th December 2021, the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream said the rehabilitation work on the $1.5bn Port Harcourt refinery is on course. The committee urged all stakeholders to give their maximum support to the project, describing the 24-month timeline for the project as realizable.
“There is no doubt that the Buhari administration will ensure full rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery complex, aimed at restoring the complex to a minimum of 90% of its nameplate capacity.
“Even though the TPAP-M claimed that Nigeria is the only OPEC member country that imports more than 90 to 05%of refined petroleum products for its domestic consumption, with the promotion of local capacity in refining petroleum products for domestic by the Federal Government through Dangote Oil Refinery Company, Waltersmith Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited, OPAC Refineries, Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, BUA Refinery & Petrochemicals and Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited, Nigeria will meet its domestic needs for refined petroleum products through domestic refining, the statement added.
It will be recalled that the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, in a New Year message to workers, urged workers and the citizens to prepare for total war against the fuel price hike.
