24/03/2016

Labour Leaders Angry after Kachikwu Says Fuel Scarcity Will Continue Till May


The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, on Wednesday, said despite the efforts being put in place by the Federal Government, fuel queues might not be completely eliminated until about two months.

He said since he was not a magician, the fuel queues could not be eliminated with a magic wand.

He however assured that he and members of his team were working hard to resolve the fuel crisis.


The scarcity of Petrol has lingered since January as hundreds of motorists besiege the few filling stations that dispense the product on a daily basis.

Kachikwu’s comments have, however, drawn heavy criticisms from various stakeholders, including some leaders of the organised labour, petroleum marketers, oil industry workers, manufacturers, etc.

The Trade Union Congress specifically asked the minister to resign instead of giving Nigerians excuses on why it would be impossible to get fuel easily in the country before June.

Kachikwu, who is also the Group Managing Director of NNPC, spoke with pressmen shortly after he led a joint delegation of PENGASSAN and NUPENG to meet with President Buhari at the presidential villa.

He said with the reality on the ground, it was by sheer magic that the country had the amount of products it currently had at the filling stations.

He said, “So we are going to put a new model to enable us to increase the pace and actually get majors as part of the crew of those to bring in more products so that the NNPC will sort of go back on the capacity of what it used to do and the majors will take over the balance of importation.

“I think if we do that, although I don’t want to put a time frame, but I will expect that over the next two months, we should see quite frankly a complete elimination of this (fuel queues).’’

On his part, National President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, said the meeting with Buhari was frank.

“We tabled the issue of fuel scarcity, the quick passage of the PIB and to see how the sector can bounce back economically and to make Nigerians smile again. Clearly, we talked more on the corruption in the oil and gas sector, product allocations."

Also, the President of PENGASSAN, Olabode Johnson, said the President told them that he created the NNPC and he was emotionally attached to the firm.

Johnson quoted Buhari as saying everything that will to happen in NNPC must follow due process.

He added, “The President said he is concerned about what Nigerians are going through and he bears their pains and whatever he is going to do, he will do it with their support so that Nigerians can enjoy the benefits of the NNPC.’’

But the Nigeria Labour Congress described as unfortunate Kachikwu’s statement that it would take more than two months for the current fuel queues to clear.

NLC General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said in a chat with PUNCH that it was wrong of any agent of government to take a position that would subject Nigerians to months of long fuel queues.

Ozo-Eson said it was the responsibility of the minister to ensure the removal of the factors responsible for the queues at the filling stations and to save Nigerians from the painful wait to get petroleum products.

He said, “As far as we are concerned, one day of queues is unacceptable to Nigerians, and the hardship Nigerians have been subjected to, through the queues over a long period now, is actually something that should be condemned.

“Apart from the hardship to Nigerians, the cost of these protracted queues on an economy that is already in crisis is enormous, and actually makes the issue of the revival of the economy even more difficult.’’

Also, the TUC through its President, Mr. Bala Kaigama, called on Kachikwu to resign to give room for a better person to be appointed if he lacked the capacity to solve the current problem.

Kaigama said the positions occupied by the minister were too demanding for him and urged Buhari to appoint a group managing director for the NNPC.

Kaigama stated, “If he is not a magician, he should resign now. What we are saying is that Nigerians are getting impatient with him.

“So, if he has no quick fix to it, he should just quit. We are getting impatient. He is moving from one unpopular policy to another, yet we cannot see any quick fix.’’

But Kachikwu insisted that quick fixes will cause more problems, saying things should be done properly.

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