Subsidy: Fuel Queues To Disappear Within Two Days – Mele Kyari
By Channelstv.com
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, is optimistic that the fuel queues across the country will be a thing of the past in the next two days.
On Monday during his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu said the era of subsidy payment on fuel has ended, a move that led to a hike in price across the nation.
Fuel queues also resurfaced across the country as Nigerians forage for the premium product which rose from around N185 per litre to between N400 and N600 per litre.
But speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kyari assured Nigerians that the situation won’t last.
“I don’t see it stand beyond another day or two (days) max,” the NNPCL boss said. “I don’t see it (queues) actually stand beyond Saturday.”
“We have supply for the key trouble with PMS. There are over 810 million litres of petroleum in depots, tanks and fuel stations across the country.
“So, you don’t have the problem of transferring those. That means you have supply on the ground in your house. People panic and run to fuel stations to buy. They now know that there is certainty of pricing so they have to go back.”
Refinery Ready before December
Earlier, Kyari revealed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has concluded an arrangement to have one of the four refineries repaired and operating at an optimal level before the end of the year.
The NNPC said this when he visited the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, at the party secretariat in Abuja said that following the hike in pump price and the resultant effect on commercial fare, the president is working out some palliative measures to ease the pains of Nigerians.
According to him, there is an ongoing process of rehabilitation to ensure one of the refineries is ready this year.
“I’m aware that Mr president has directed some engagements and some palliatives will be put in place. I am very sure this will happen. There is an ongoing process of rehabilitation. One of them will come this year, the second one will come on stream next year and then the third will follow thereafter.
“Of course, it is very obvious that we can no longer afford subsidy. Subsidy bills have piled up. The country is not able to settle NNPC for the money we are spending on subsidy. Therefore, pricing this petroleum at the market price is the right thing to do at this point in time and I believe it would benefit the country in the long term,” he said.
NLC Kicks Against Tinubu’s Subsidy Removal.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kicked against President Bola Tinubu’s announcement of subsidy removal.
Tinubu had during his inauguration said subsidy on petrol is “gone”, a move that has triggered fuel queues across cities in the nation.
While reacting to the announcement, NLC President Joe Ajaero described the development as not well planned, saying Nigerians feel betrayed by the move.
“By his insensitive decision, President Tinubu on his inauguration day brought tears and sorrow to millions of Nigerians instead of hope.
He equally devalued the quality of their lives by over 300 per cent and counting,” he said in a statement.
“It is no heroism to commit against the people this level of cruelty at any time, let alone on an inauguration day. If he is expecting a medal for taking this decision, he would certainly be disappointed to receive curses for the people of Nigeria consider this decision not only a slight but a big betrayal.”
The labour union is there calling for an immediate withdrawal of the policy, maintaining that the implications are “grave”.
“On our part, we are staunchly opposed to this decision and are demanding an immediate withdrawal of this policy. The implications of this decision are grave for our security and well-being,” the NLC chief added.
“We wonder if President Tinubu gave a thought to why his predecessors in office refused to implement this highly injurious policy decision.”
He quoted Tinubu’s 2012 comment, opposing the removal of subsidy on fuel.
“In light of the foregoing, we advise Tinubu to respect his own postulations and economic theories instead of daring the people. It could be a costly gamble,” the statement noted.
Govt Working to Alleviate Pains
Kyari who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the Federal Government is aware of the pain Nigerians were passing through and working to alleviate that.
“Will it bring pains? Yes. These pains will be alleviated, and I am aware that Mr President is working on this to see how the alleviation of these pains is going on. More than anything, it is going to enable the resources to come back and be of use to the ordinary people,” Kyari said.
Besides the pains, the NNPCL boss explained that the masses would benefit a lot from the decision taken by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the decision to remove subsidy on fuel is a result of the government’s inability to continue paying for petroleum products.
“It is very painful that this has to happen because the country can no longer afford this subsidy regime. We do not have the money to pay for it,” he stated.
Queues To Disappear
In his inaugural speech on Monday at Eagle Square in Abuja, President Tinubu said the era of subsidy payment on fuel has ended, a move that led to a hike in price across the nation.
Across cities, Nigerians searched for the premium product which rose from around N185 per litre to between N400 and N600 per litre.
During the interview, Kyari assured Nigerians that the fuel queues across the country will be a thing of the past in the next two days.
He said, “I don’t see it stand beyond another day or two (days) max. I don’t see it (queues) actually standing beyond Saturday.
“We have supplied for the key trouble with PMS system is supply. There are over 810 million litres of petroleum in depots, tanks and fuel stations across the country.
“So, you don’t have the problem of transferring those. That means you have supply on the ground in your house. People panic and run to fuel stations to buy. They now know that there is certainty of pricing so they have to go back.”
