Fuel Crisis: Emami canvasses deregulation as panacea

Renowned Niger Delta Activist, oil magnet and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Ayirimi Emami has admonished the Federal Government to seriously consider full deregulation of the oil and gas sector, insisting it’s one sure way to end the recurrent fuel crisis in Nigeria.

Chief Emami who also enjoined the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, PENGASSAN and NUPENG to review the recurrent fuel crisis in the country with a view to encouraging the Federal Government to fully deregulate the critical oil and gas sector so as to encourage local and foreign investors, appealed to the Federal Government to relax the stringent Forex policy and assist Petroleum Marketers who import products to easily access Forex at the official rate to compliment the government’s effort in meeting the daily local consumption demands of fuel.

In an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari titled, “How to permanently end fuel crisis in Nigeria-Chief Ayirimi Emami”, the APC stalwart commended the federal government for revamping the hitherto comatose government owned four refineries and called on the Federal Government to immediately put measures in place to ensure that fuel, kerosene and other crude oil products get to the riverine dwellers at affordable amount, since there is a ban on the sale of fuel on gallons and the coastal communities do not have filling stations.

According to him, assigning the task of distribution and selling petroleum products to the coastal communities to Petroleum Marketers who are familiar with the difficult terrain of the Niger Delta region will stop illegal oil bunkering activities and ultimately raise Nigeria’s daily crude oil output, apart from making refined products accessible at regulated prices.

Our Correspondent also reports that the APC Chieftain absolved the Minister of State For Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu of any blame in the current fuel crisis, noting that the Delta State born Minister should be commended for his untiring efforts at making sure that the Nation’s four refineries have begun production again and ailing infrastructures in the oil and gas sector are being revitalized alongside sweeping reforms in the NNPC.

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