President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the country’s refineries will bounce back soon, while lamenting that the benefits of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) are being absorbed by truck owners instead of reaching Nigerians.
The president made the remarks at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he received the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Tinubu also acknowledged the critical role played by NUPENG and the wider oil and gas workforce in the country’s economy, describing the union as a strong partner in the progress of his administration.
His assurance on the refineries comes amid continued concerns over the state of domestic refining and the need to strengthen local petroleum production.
The president’s comments followed an appeal by NUPENG president, Salimon Akanni Oladiti, who urged the Federal Government to intervene in the casualisation of workers in the oil industry.
Oladiti appealed to Tinubu to help address the situation and protect workers within the sector.
“You occupy a very critical nerve of the economy of this country,” the president said, acknowledging the significance of the workers represented by the union.
Tinubu also recalled his position on fuel subsidy during his campaign for the presidency, noting that he had promised to remove the subsidy despite the possibility of industrial action by oil and gas workers.
According to him, there had been a threat of a possible strike by workers over the policy. He said he had made it clear that the fuel subsidy would be removed, regardless of the threat of industrial action.
The president said the decision had now been implemented, describing it as being to the benefit of the country. He recalled telling the workers at the time that they could proceed with a strike, but that the subsidy removal would still take place.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for Tinubu to speak about the government’s CNG initiative. While discussing the programme, the president expressed concern that truck owners were benefiting significantly from the savings and advantages associated with the transition to CNG.
Tinubu lamented that the benefits arising from the introduction of CNG were going into the pockets of truck owners, raising concerns about how the gains from the initiative were being distributed across the wider economy.
The president’s remarks came as the NUPENG leadership sought government support on issues affecting workers in the oil and gas industry. The union’s appeal focused particularly on the continued casualisation of workers and the need for government intervention.
