By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
With the current fuel scarcity occasioned by unstable pricing of petroleum products in Nigeria, the National President of
Petroleum Retail Outlets Owners Association, Billy Gillys-Harry has said that solution is on the way.
But renowned Market Economy expert and Chief Executive Officer of Growth Masters Consulting, Wale Oluwade has insisted that the only solution to end the perennial fuel scarcity is to sell the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC).
Both Gillys-Harry and Oluwade who spoke on Channels Television Sunrise Daily programme on Monday on the topic: ‘Fuel Price Controversy’ gave different perspective on the solution to the fuel crisis in Nigeria.
For Gillys-Harry, the over 7,000 petroleum products marketers in Nigeria are working assiduously with the Federal Government to address the perennial fuel scarcity.
Said he: “Petrol is a key driver of the Nigeria economy. Everyone in Nigeria need it for day to day activities because without the petroleum products especially petrol, nothing will work. We need petrol in our vehicles to even go to work so it’s an important product”.
The National President of
Petroleum Retail Outlets Owners Association, argued that for things to normalize deregulation of the downstream industry is the way to go.
On the recent jerking up of the pump price by a Federal Government agency but later revised by the Minister of State, Petroleum, Timipreye Slyva, Gillys-Harry praised government for standing firm that there will be no fuel hike in March.
He however disclosed that his association and government are meeting to find solution to the fuel crisis in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Oluwade wondered why Nigeria cannot have functional refineries which he said would have solved fuel scarcity in Nigeria.
“Petrol scarcity in Nigeria is a collective failure of not only the present administration but past administrations (military and civilians). We have five refineries in the country but none is functioning as we speak why United States of America has 139 refineries currently working. What does it say about Nigeria”.
“I can still remember during last Presidential Election, an aspirant Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said if he wins he will sell NNPC but he was lambasted and vilified big time by his rivals. But the truth is that he was in order. Nigeria must sell the non-performing NNPC if we are a serious nation. Privatize it, at least”, Oluwade advocated.
He insisted that fuel price will continue to go up in Nigeria except the country’s leaders go the way Saudi Arabia whose state-owned oil company, Aramco is very profitable because it was privatised, adding that “Dangote Refinery in Lagos will not solve the petrol scarcity in Nigeria”.
