March 24, 2024

The Claver Magazine

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Human Right Activist, Comrade Iche Knocks FG Over Destruction Of N30bn Illegal Refinery Assets

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Peterclaver Egbochue

Human right activist, Comrade Prince Saviour Iche has described as economic sabotage the recent report that the Nigerian Navy destroyed N30bn illegal refinery assets.

Comrade Iche, while reacting to the report of the N30bn refinery assets destroyed by the Navy wondered why the government which has failed to repair the old existing refineries contrary to the campaign promise made by this government in 2015 has not legalized the operations of the illegal local refineries which will create jobs and help with domestic consumption.

On the issue of oil theft as reported in the news that the Navy has destroyed N30bn illegal refinery assets, Comrade Iche said, “it’s unfortunate that we found ourselves in this kind of banana republic.

“In a country where we have resources and we are taking our resources to outside countries for them to give us what we can get by ourselves. This is almost 7 years of this administration, I can remember vividly during the campaign of the APC, they promised to repair the old existing refineries and also build new ones and up till now, not a single refinery has been fixed let alone building new ones seven years into this administration.

“I remember vividly when the APC was campaigning in 2015, the Vice president, then running mate to President Buhari said that some of these people that are doing refineries in drums would be encouraged to do modular refineries when they assume office and up till today, nothing of such has been done.

“And now, the report said the Navy destroyed N30bn illegal refinery assets, my question now is if refining petroleum products is possible in Nigeria, why can’t the federal government call these people who are refining locally and encourage them because if they are being encouraged, there will be a lot of employments. Remember, the money the federal government is using to pay for subsidy for petrol is running into billions of dollars.

“This money could have been used to build refineries in each state. The question I want to ask the federal government now is who is sabotaging the economy, is it not the federal government that will carry the raw material, the crude and transport to another country and the country refines and gives us some part of the refined products and we import it back to our country, is this not madness?

“I can’t just understand this, who is sabotaging the economy? Is it the government that carries our crude to other countries to refine and import it back or these boys in a particular state that are using drums to refine?

“The government is not saying that what they are refining is fake, what the government is saying that it is illegal, what stops the government from making these refineries legal so that we can refine the crude at least, for domestic use since the government has failed to fix the refineries or build new ones?”

Comrade Iche maintained that since these young Nigerians can refine, the right approach is for the government to make their operation legal by licensing them and let them be refining in each state, stressing that his would bring about massive employment.

“Now the government has destroyed N30bn illegal refinery assets and ASUU is on strike over how many billions? This situation calls for urgent intervention,” he stressed.