The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has told the Federal Government to ensure that local refineries are working properly before planning to remove fuel subsidy.
OsunDaily News reports that the union made this known in a communiqué issued on Thursday at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos.
The communiqué was signed by the President and General Secretary of NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha, and Afolabi Olawale, respectively.
The union said its members are not against the removal of the subsidy on petrol, but must boost the local refining capacity, in view of its socio-economic implications on businesses and Nigerians.
It expressed disappointment in the failure of the government to deliver on its promises of making the three national refineries work before contemplating the removal of fuel subsidy.
The communique reads: “NEC-in-Council also examined the recurrent discussions for the removal of subsidy from the Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, and expresses deep concerns over the failure of the Federal Government to do the needful as advised by Organised Labour that deregulation of the PMS should not be predicated on importation of the product because of all the obvious negative impacts on the socio-economic life of the people and nation in general.
“The Council-in-session expressed disappointment in the failure of the government to deliver on its promises of making the three national refineries work before contemplating the removal of the subsidy on this very important economic item in view of the enormous implication and the impact on the economic activities and considering the socio-economic importance of PMS to ordinary Nigerians.
“The NEC-in-session reaffirms that in as much as our Union is not averse to the removal of PMS subsidy, the Federal Government must ensure that our local refineries are put into full operation before a such major policy decision is taken in the interest of the generality of Nigerians.”
