Resumption of refinery operations deadline: Holding FG accountable

It is now an open secret that since the removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have been living from hand to mouth. This is sequel to the skyrocketing of goods and services in the country, induced by the high cost of fuel and other petroleum products.

Petroleum acts as the key to virtually every other product in the country, be it food, transport, social amenities in general. Announcement of the subsidy removal by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu on assumption of office, initially triggered off protest, culminating into labour unrest, which was temporarily quietened by salary awards by the Federal Governnment, with the pledge that the Port Harcourt  Refinery will come on stream in December, 2023, followed by Warri and Kaduna refineries in due course.

With few days to the D-day or better still, timeframe of the production resumption of the refineries, it is pertinent to perhaps remind the federal Government that the deadline is closing in and Nigerians are keeping tabs on this gentleman agreement, praying and hoping that the goalpost will not be shifted again.

But while patriotic Nigerians are patiently waiting, skeptics are saying that this will be another wild goose chase. Whether the cynics will be proven right or wrong depends on the current leadership.

It is our prayer that the skeptics be proven wrong and the devil put to shame. Everybody has reason to doubt the decisions of the government at one time or another. After all, the Dangote Refinery was commissioned by the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, with a strong promise that it will start production almost immediately. Months after that promise and no drop of product has been produced or dispensed from the much-celebrated project till date. 

It is important to point out that labour and indeed Nigerians generally are still hoping that the December deadline of the production resumption of the refineries will be realised.

The reason is that only God knows the next line of action of the Nigerian workers, who for now are like wounded lions, who are still licking the wound of the recent battering of their President, Comrd Joe Ajaero by yet to be identified police operatives or alleged mob.

We pray that labour should not be given an opportunity to open another showdown with the federal government, because the consequences could be grave. But what is obvious is that Nigerians, especially the poor, are not finding it easy to survive with the current high cost of living in the country.

Fuel price has sustained its increase up to N700 per litre, while more money is not entering the pockets of the hapless citizens. The only way to assuage the tension and agitation of Nigerians is to meet the timeframe of December 2023 for the resumption of production by the refineries in the country.

We are aware and rightly too, that labour was reluctant to accept the so-called salary award to Nigerian workers, but only succumbed after a series of persuasions by the federal government. They instead rooted for a negotiated salary increment of N200,000 as minimum wage, which the federal government objected to. Even if the organised labour is taken care of by the salary award, what happens to the unorganised sector or even the masses?

The local refineries must work to soften other sectors, including the open markets, where everybody leans on for survival. And until this is done, the intractable problems facing the populace will continue. It is up to the federal government, through the Ministry of Labour to convince the people, or rebuild the already shattered confidence and trust with the Nigerian workers by doing the needful.

This, the Government can do, by honouring the gentleman agreement it entered into with the people on functionality of the country’s refineries. If the four giant imported refineries can no longer work, efforts should be made to encourage locally built refineries such as the modular refineries. What is important is that you have arrived at your destination, how you got there is immaterial.