Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently declare a state of emergency on food as Nigerians are hungry and angry.
Speaking yesterday at his Asokoro residence in Abuja when the President of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), High Chief Benjamin Tamaranebi led a delegation of his team on a visit to the elder statesman, Chief Clark said that the people were hungry.
Speaking on the recent protest by Nigerians, the elder statesman said that the government cannot stop the people from protesting as it is their right to protest, just as he said that President Tinubu organized a protest that lasted some weeks against the then President Goodluck Jonathan when he removed oil subsidy.
The leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF said Tinubu should not be blamed for the removal of fuel subsidy since the budgetary provision for it ended in June 2023.
He however, advised the government to find practical means of alleviating poverty, adding that fuel subsidy removal is inflicting pain on Nigerians.
“Oil subsidy is a big problem in Nigeria. Oil subsidy is not confined to Nigeria alone, but everything in Nigeria does not work because of poor management and poor leadership. True, we all realize later that the oil subsidy was a scam.
“That was why in 2012, during the administration of Jonathan, in January 2012, his government removed the oil subsidy.
“During the 2023 presidential campaign, all the major parties talked about removal of subsidies. But in 2020 and 2021, President Buhari, as well as the Minister of Finance, Ahmed, and the Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, announced to Nigerians that there was no longer subsidy in Nigeria.” Chief Clark also said that two years after the Petroleum Industry Bill, now PIA was signed into law, it is not working because it was hurriedly passed and the problem of leadership is affecting its implementation.”
Earlier in his remarks, HOSTCOM President, High Chief Benjamin Tamaranebi who called on the Federal Government to end the incessant fuel scarcity in the country, also lampooned the International Oil Companies (IOCs) for allegedly frustrating the Dangote Refinery from accessing crude oil for local refining and production.
He said: “It is sad to state here that a country like Nigeria, an oil producing Nation, the 2nd largest oil producer in Africa, that has four Refineries is still suffering from endless fuel scarcity and bent on importation of refined Petroleum Products to her Country for over 20 years.
“We are aware that the current fuel scarcity in some parts of the country is caused by marketers’ refusal to import petrol into the country due to the huge debt issue. It is alleged that NNPCL owes marketers huge sums of money and as such, they can no longer continue to import when NNPCL is owing them.
“We want Tinubu to have a rethink. We therefore call on the government to ensure that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries are fixed immediately and made to work optimally.
“We are also calling on the Federal government to as a matter of urgency, compel the International oil companies operating in our Niger Delta to begin the sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local Refinery in Naira to reduce and possibly eliminate importation of finished petroleum products into Nigeria.
“With the Nigeria Refineries producing locally, the price of petrol will reduce, which will ultimately reduce inflation and hardship in the country so that prices of commodities and staple foods like Fufu, Rice, Garri etc can come down.”
VANGUARD
