10 January 2014, Lagos -The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, says it has received the commitment of the Federal Government to carry out Turn Around Maintenance of refineries.
The National Public Relations Officer of the association, Seyi Gambo, said this in an interview in Lagos on Wednesday.
“The resolve of the Federal Government to carry out actual maintenance of the refineries is commendable and we are watching the process,” he said.
Mr. Gambo said that there was no need to sell the refineries as scrap even if government decided that privatisation remained the best option.
“We are saying, as patriots, that there will be abject poverty in the land if the refineries are sold or privatised without using the right model.
“If you use the wrong model and the buyers now decide that it is only kerosene they want to refine what will you do?” he asked.
The PRO urged the government to address the security challenges in the sector, stressing that the country was losing billions of dollars due to crude oil theft and vandalism.
He said that PENGASSAN was unhappy that Nigeria, the 13th largest oil producing nation, was importing fuel for domestic consumption.
(NAN)
