- Criticisms against Kachikwu, indirect attacks on Buhari, says group
From Fred Itua, Dennis Mernyi and Walter Ukaegbu Abuja
THE biting fuel scarcity in the country has continued to extert its tolls grounding commercial activities almost to a halt.
According to Tony Ejinkeonye, chairman, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have posted a loss of N30 billion in the last 30 days as a result of the non-availability of fuel.
“Businesses, especially MSMEs have lost over N30 billion as a result of inadequate supply of petroleum products. Productivity is low as employees have stayed off work since the hike of fares by providers and when they come, they are always late. Businesses and the economy are being battered from all sides- forex, energy supply, infrastructure and security concerns. The list is endless.”
But while addressing the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Minister of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said the scarcity would be over on or before April 7, 2016.
However, the ACCI henchman is unimpressed by the promise as he slammed the NNPC for not proffering meaningful solution to the issue over the years. He also faulted the ban on sale of petrol in kegs, likening it to treating symptoms instead of addressing the issue.
“The issue of unavailability of petroleum products and its importation portray our country in bad light. It portrays us as an incompetent manager of our resources. NNPC from the comments of its officials may have given up. We may seriously need to divest our refineries,” Ejinkeonye said.
As at yesterday morning, a litre of fuel was selling for as high as N300 in Abuja and other cities. With no letup in sight, motorists who cannot afford the hike have abandoned their vehicles or now keep vigil in major filling stations. Commercial cab drivers have increased their fare, while those who cannot afford the new price regime have resorted to trekking. Others stopped coming to the city from the suburbs.
Similarly, “black marketers” have taken over major highways and roads in the city. Unlike in the past, they openly display their products under the nose of security agents who now appear helpless.
However, a fresh twist was introduced yesterday as the prolonged leadership crisis in the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was fingered as partly responsible for the fuel crisis.
The PPPRA branch leadership had since February 15 been plagued by crisis over the appointment of acting executive secretary of the agency.
The PPPRA branch chairman of PENGASSAN, Comrade Victor Ononokpono in a petition to the National Assembly last month stated that the untidy situation has left many in doubt as to the sincerity of government to enforce reforms in the petroleum sector that would bring about an end to the persistent fuel scarcity.
Ononokpono, in the petition, stated that a meeting between PENGASSAN and the minister of state for petroleum resources to resolve the issue ended in ‘mere promise’.
The union, according to Ononokpono decided to approach the National Assembly to help protect the PPPRA act with regards to operational independence.
He said the union had insisted that it was morally wrong to continue to make staff of operating/marketing companies executive secretaries in PPPRA.
Meanwhile, there was pandemonium yesterday at a fuel station, located beside the United Nations (UN) office in Abuja as irate policemen invaded the place, snatched nozzle from an attendant and teargassed motorists waiting to buy petrol.
Eyewitnesses said about five police officers attached to the UN office drove into the petrol station forcefully through the exit gate and insisted on being served before those they met on the queue, some of whom had kept vigil there all night.
Trouble started, according to Austin Osaze who was among those on the long queue, when the fuel attendant protested the unruly behavior.
“But they (police officers) insisted that those on the long queue be bypassed so they could fill up the fuel tank of their patrol van. Rather than listen to voice of reason, the armed police officers just dragged (wrest) the fuel pump from the lady (fuel attendant) and started filling up their tank. Out of anger, the manager who was watching from afar turned off the pump from inside his office.
“Before any of us could say anything, the policemen opened fire. They started shooting canisters of teargas. We had to abandon our vehicles and run for our dear lives. Some people who could not run as a result of the teargas just sat on the ground,” Osaze recounted.
He further revealed how the irate policemen beat one of the motorists to stupor. The victim, identified simply as Suleiman, narrated his ordeal: “I slept in this filling. We were here last night, but they stopped selling fuel at about 8pm. I just stayed back. So, when these policemen came and forcefully opened the gate, I protested. Two of them came out of their car and started beating me. They even used the butt of their guns to hit my head. I started bleeding through my nose. People had to intervene before they stopped.”
In another development, an Abuja-based civil society group, the United Nigeria Civic Front (UNICIF), urged Nigerians to resist the attempt to personalise the current petroleum crisis being witnessed in the country.
The group also called on Nigerians to rally behind President Muhammadu Buhari and Kachikwu in their effort to find a permanent solution to the lingering issues in the petroleum industry.
The group was reacting to the recent call by some “human rights activists under the aegis of Civil Society Coalition for Positive Change and Stand Up for Nigeria (SUN)” which gave the minister 72 hours to resign.
According to the publicity secretary UNICIF, Mr. Johnson Olamide, the call for Kachikwu’s resignation is a cowardly attack on President Buhari who doubles as minister of petroleum.
“This is actually an ill-motivated and cowardly attack on the President, an attempt to question his capacity to solve the current energy crisis in the country by those who lack the courage to assail him directly. We are aware that it has nothing to do with patriotism or a wish to see a quick end to the current fuel crisis,” Olamide said.
He added: “It is extreme for any group to hide under the current fuel crisis or personalise a national problem by giving the minister of state for petroleum a 72-hour ultimatum to resign as a result. The call for the minister’s resignation is tantamount to personalising a national problem by citizens expected to make positive suggestions as patriots on how to solve a national problem.”
Olumide noted that the current problem is operational and should not be politicised.