THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), last week, promised to embark on a one-day strike to protest against the challenges facing the Nigerian people, particularly in the area of fuel scarcity. The labour union later said it could also extend the one-day strike to a full week so that the Federal Government would realise the pains Nigerians are going through.
However, instead of a strike, I think the NLC leadership should meet with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, to know what efforts are being taken towards ending the fuel scarcity in the country.
Going on strike to protest the fuel scarcity is like blaming the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Buhari, for the challenges we are facing in the country today. Now, let us look at why we have the scarcity in the first place. The truth is that our refineries cannot refine enough fuel to satisfy local consumption, and the option before the country is to import, but this had been enmeshed in unimaginable fraud at the detriment of the Nigerian people.
Now, if we are to solve the problem, we need the contruction of new refineries, which cannot be built overnight.
We should also not forget that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government granted licenses to establish refineries to some investors, but we are yet to see any being built, except the one belonging to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, which is expected to start production in the next couple of years. We should ask questions why our investors prefer importing petroleum products instead of building their refineries.
With this, I think we should allow reason to prevail, as going on strike will not solve any problem; it will only make life more difficult for Nigerians. I believe we will soon overcome our challenges if we are patient.
However, instead of a strike, I think the NLC leadership should meet with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, to know what efforts are being taken towards ending the fuel scarcity in the country.
Going on strike to protest the fuel scarcity is like blaming the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Buhari, for the challenges we are facing in the country today. Now, let us look at why we have the scarcity in the first place. The truth is that our refineries cannot refine enough fuel to satisfy local consumption, and the option before the country is to import, but this had been enmeshed in unimaginable fraud at the detriment of the Nigerian people.
Now, if we are to solve the problem, we need the contruction of new refineries, which cannot be built overnight.
We should also not forget that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government granted licenses to establish refineries to some investors, but we are yet to see any being built, except the one belonging to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, which is expected to start production in the next couple of years. We should ask questions why our investors prefer importing petroleum products instead of building their refineries.
With this, I think we should allow reason to prevail, as going on strike will not solve any problem; it will only make life more difficult for Nigerians. I believe we will soon overcome our challenges if we are patient.
•Idayat Kassim,
Ilorin,
Ilorin,
No comments:
Post a Comment