By Felix Khanoba
A non-governmental group, Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy, VATLAD, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately assume the position of Minister of Petroleum Resources to effectively battle the massive fraud in the sector.
The group, in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade (Engr) Igbini Odafe Emmanuel, on Tuesday, also called on the President to repeal the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The statement obtained by The AUTHORITY in Abuja reads in full : “We are aware of the seemingly unending gross mismanagement and massive fraud in the Oil and Gas Sector of Nigeria (Upstream and Downstream) which has extended to recent massive crude oil theft by some multinational oil companies. We are also very much aware of the dire negative consequences of these vices on Nigeria’s Economy, Social Stability and National Security.
We also know as a fact that the seemingly unending desire and determination by successive Leaders of the Federal Government of Nigeria to bow to external pressures to remove the so-called subsidy on petroleum products in Nigeria is as a result of this massive fraud and crude oil theft in the Nigerian sector which has continued to deny Nigerians of needed foreign earnings for critical national development. The resulting astronomical increases in pump prices of the petroleum products are currently making life so unbearable for Nigerians.
While we sincerely appreciate and commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for patriotically and courageously attempting to confront these vices in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector with a view to eliminating them, we however wish to state that from our extensive knowledge of and experience in the operations and management of the Petroleum Sector of Nigeria, it will be practically impossible for him or indeed any President of Nigeria, to achieve this patriotic mission by mere reaching an agreement with Organised Labour Unions on implementation of some palliatives.
As a matter of fact, we strongly disagree with substantial part of the proposals so far presented by President Tinubu’s team and the Leaders of the two Labour Unions for addressing the crisis in the Petroleum Sector. Honestly, it is unbelievable that for many years now our labour leaders will continue to refuse to embark on nationwide strike actions if the Federal Government refuses to allow their members who are very competent and capable of operating and maintaining the four petroleum refineries, to continue to do so.
It is an undeniable fact that these four Refineries had no major operational or technical faults before they were shut down by Directives of some persons in Government. The many so-called Turn Around Maintenance or Rehabilitation of these four Refineries for many years now by different Regimes are also major scams just like the fuel subsidy scam President Tinubu seeks to end.
Therefore, as first major action to be taken by President Tinubu to restoring sanity to our Petroleum Sector, we are strongly advising him to immediately assume the position of Substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources. He must never fall to any pressure or blackmail from anywhere for him to appoint anyone else as the Substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources lest the rot and fraud in the sector will worsen and jeopardise Nigeria’s Peace, Order and National Security.
Secondly, there is very urgent need to repeal the Petroleum Industry Act which has regrettably laid the smooth and protective foundation for these vices to continue to thrive in the Sector and also gave birth to an NNPCL that is the worst thing to happen to the Nigerian Petroleum Sector. It is suicidal for any developing nation to fully privatise its critical national resource like Petroleum and allow so-called international market forces and individuals to determine its survival.
Finally, we are requesting that the Nigerian Petroleum Sector reverses back to its 1970s Status as State Owned and Managed and operate Joint Venture Partnership with IOCs in line with the laudable OPEC’s Vision and Mission; Nigeria being one of the leading members. The sad fact that a few unpatriotic and corrupt top Nigerians in corridor of powers and in NNPC abused the powers of their offices to cause gross mismanagement and massive fraud in the sector is not enough reason to embark on jeopardising our National Security and Economy by allowing a very few individuals to now own and control this massive wealth and petroleum resources of our country as the PIA now allows to do under the guise of Privatisation. “
