NUPENG- Fuel scarcity will continue to be part of Nigeria’s socio-economic problem

National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG National President, Mr. Igwe Achese, at a briefing in Lagos, yesterday said fuel scarcity will continue to be part of Nigeria’s socio-economic problems if certain things are not fixed like if the country’s refineries remain grounded, importation of petroleum products continues, subsidy persists, deregulation ignored and depot not rehabilitated.

Achese in his speech blamed the current scarcity of fuel on Lagos State government, who he said gave tanker drivers 24 hours, instead of the two weeks they asked for, to leave Oshodin-Apapa Expressway.

He said: “We are not on strike. It was just a withdrawal of services. I directed that the trucks stay away to avoid violence. “Even when the tankers were out of the roads, trailers took over which means it is not our problem. 

“We work and pay our taxes in Lagos. It is unfortunate that they do not consider it good enough to create a corridor for us just as they did for Bus Rapid Transport, BRT. 

“As long as government refuses to do the needful, fuel scarcity will continue to be part of this country. 

“To stop it, our refineries must be put in order, railways working, the downstream sector deregulated, subsidy removed and depot rehabilitated.”