|
By Demola Akinyemi
Friday, October 15, 2004
ILORIN— SECOND Republic Senate Leader, Dr Olusola Saraki has urged the Federal Government to strike a deal with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the hike in the prices of petroleum products. He also asked the authorities to go back to the drawing board, and fashion out how to build 25 refineries scattered all over Nigeria in order to halt the present importation of the products and, bring succour to the suffering masses. Speaking in an interview in Ilorin, Dr. Saraki also harped on the need for the Federal Government to subsidize saying that there is no doubt, we have to subsidize, all over the world government subsidize.
On his reaction to the socio -economic dislocations resulting from the nationwide strike against fuel price increase, Dr. Olusola Saraki said “ I think there must be some misunderstandings in some discussions but there is no doubt that increase in fuel price will definitely distrupt the economic activities of our people, prices of items will go up because produce and products need to be evacuated from the farm etc. Prices are affected and it is going to be very heavy on the pockets of everybody. That is why I think the government needs to look at it again. Look at how it could help.
I think one of the very important facts we realized is that we are not refining the oil here, and that has made things difficult for the government, I agree”. But at the same time, he continued “the government should be able to look ahead, and plan for the future. By now, we have to plan how to refine our oil on our own shore. We are just like any other country without oil, we are just importing, buying from the refining markets, whereas we should be able to refine on our soil here, all the by - products, kerosene, diesel, we import all these as well, that is why things are difficult, hence the need for government to quickly do a rethink and ensure we have our own refineries as soon as possible.
It will be better for us”. He noted that there was a mistake in the past when Nigeria had about five refineries for 100,000 or 120,000 barrels, saying that that was too large for a country lake Nigeria. “ I would have thought that we have about 25 refineries spread across the country, it would help us a long way than what we are having now,” he added. Dr. Saraki said “refinering is not a thing you set up in 2, 3, 4, years, Americans that we look up to for their experience and economy, have not built one in the last thirty (30) years, and they have about 150 refineries all over America. It is not an easy thing to do, I can understand the problem of the government, it is not easy thing to start setting up, it takes time. The last time America built a new refinery was about 30 years ago, and it has about 270 to 300 million people and there are 150 refineries, but we have five, (5) with a population of 130 million people. The government needs to go back to the drawing table and re- think, so that she can alllaviate the sufferings of the common men and women”.
|
