Oil & Gas
PETROLEUM and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has blamed petrol marketers and other operators of the petroleum downstream sector for the persistent shortage of petrol in the country and the current rise in pump price above government-approved rate.
The association noted that the persistent shortages and hike in price had become a source of pain to Nigerians.
PENGASSAN President, Mr. Festus Osifo, at the association’s National Executive Council Meeting, yesterday, in Abuja, said: “The persistent shortages of Premium Motor Spirit in the country has become a source of pain to the Nigerian people as the current shortages are being perpetuated by players in the downstream sector in order to hike the price far above the government approved threshold.
“It is an added problem when non-state actors begin to arrogate to themselves the power to determine the price of a litre of fuel far above the rate pegged by the government in the current subsidy regime.
“It is more disturbing that the government is equally demonstrating high level of culpability in the unwholesome situation by its silence and unwillingness to frontally and publicly address the harrowing experiences of Nigerians in the current situation, because no concerned and responsive government will bury its head in the sands like the proverbial Ostrich while the citizens are being brutally exploited.
“We demand that the various security agencies, especially the men of Nigerian Customs and Immigration charged with manning the nation’s borders act professionally and in dictates to their oaths of allegiances to stop the high rate of smuggling of the products across the West African countries. The various deports and other storage facilities, especially those owned and operated by the NNPC should be upgraded and made accessible to all operators to lift the product.
“Consequently, we demand an immediate end to the avoidable, unnecessary, crippling and pain- inducing fuel shortages and unapproved price hike in the country. No excuse is good enough to cripple the country. If there are challenges, they should be fixed, we have a government in power to fix challenges not to make excuses.
“We are ready and willing to collaborate with the Federal Government and assist in all ways possible to overcome the country’s current challenges. But we caution it not to take the Nigerian people for granted as it seems to be manifestly doing on various crucial national issues.”
Osifo called on the government to heed economic and financial experts warning against continuous and reckless borrowing.
Vanguard.
A.
Tags: Mr. Festus Osifo PENGASSAN
