By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja
THE Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), a civil society organization focused on promoting good governance and environmental sustainability, has called on the federal government to prioritise the revamping of the country’s oil refineries and tackle systemic corruption before removing fuel subsidy.
According to HEDA, the removal of fuel subsidy without first putting in place measures to ensure adequate supply of refined petroleum products would lead to an increase in the cost of living for Nigerians, especially the poor.
The organisation, in a statement on Sunday by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, also emphasized the need for the government to take urgent steps to clean up the corruption in the oil sector, which has been a major hindrance to the development of the industry and the country as a whole.
HEDA further stated that revamping the refineries and addressing corruption would not only ensure adequate supply of petroleum products, but would also create job opportunities and boost economic growth.
In conclusion, HEDA urged the federal government to take the necessary steps to revamp the refineries and tackle corruption before removing fuel subsidy, in order to ensure sustainable development of the oil sector and the country at large.
“These (necessary steps) include implementing policies that promote transparency and accountability, ensuring a transparent process in the award of contracts, and appointing officials to oversee the refineries’ revamp. Also, to investigate the utilization of all the previous Turn Around Maintenance allocations to the refineries since 1999 to date,” the statement read.
“HEDA believes that by focusing on these steps, the government can create a sustainable and viable petroleum industry that benefits all Nigerians.”
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Last modified: April 9, 2023
