Energy experts in the country have said that the recent fuel scarcity in parts of the country is one of the normal features of current global economy.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, a retired Deputy Director of the now defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Sunday Babalola, said that fuel scarcity is one of the temporary shocks of global socioeconomic situations.
“There will always be a shock. It is not a surprise that there is a shock. The world today is like a single body. What affects the eyes affects the leg. That is the way the world is. Any small shock anywhere, whether an earthquake or war, as it is happening now, will create ripple effects everywhere because countries of the world are touching one another. We cannot avoid it. The only way to avoid such is to leave the world and since we are not going to leave the world, we have to be prepared for such sudden shocks. So, I advise the NNPC, and other regulatory bodies, to ensure that they are prepared for such shocks,” he said.
Babalola, who said that, though restoration of fuel supply did not happen within the shortest possible time, the Federal Government should be commended for resumption of fuel supply in some states of the federation, adding that it should prevent future scarcity.
The energy expert also condemned activities of people behind illegal oil refining in the country, saying that illegal refining had a negative impact on revenue of energy companies.
“The companies are frustrated. They spend a lot of money producing at operating costs, capital costs and exploration and after they have found the oil, somebody goes to steal it and refine it illegally. The effect on the company is not good. The effect on the company with respect to financiers is not good. Nobody will want to bring their money into a country where they are not sure what they have invested the money in is going to yield good returns.”
“The illegal refiners are not helping the situation. Moreover, environmental degradation is enormous. If you get to Port Harcourt today, by evening, you manage to put your hand in your nose, what it will bring out is bad soot. I commend Governor Wike for a very good job. I hope that he continues to do it and I hope that party differences will not make him be discouraged in what he is doing.
“I hope all the South-South governors will do it. The effect of illegal refining is huge. It affects the health of the people living around the South-South. From that, we see that it affects the hospitals too because when people are sick, they rush to hospitals and hospitals will be overpopulated. It also affects the revenue of the states and the Federal Government. It also affects companies from being able to raise money to further develop crude oil.
“It is very sad because today we think that crude oil is all that is required for huge foreign exchange earnings but that is not the case. The world is changing very fast. So if we do not produce what we can produce today, and sell it and make money that we can use for infrastructural development to move our country forward, we will stand to regret it in a few years. Because a time will come, it may not be tomorrow, it may not be next week, it may not be next year, it may not even be in 20 years’ time, but the time will come when oil will not be fashionable again.”
“Just as it happened, coal was the in-thing one time but it is not the in-thing today. The effect can be very devastating to everybody and to all stakeholders. And that is why I commend Governor Wike and I pray that he will be supported by all stakeholders so that he can do more,” he said.
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“Absolutely, When we came with the Buhari government in 2015 I became the minister. We were committed to a roadmap to establish a National Carrier, to concession the airports, to set up a leasing company, to establish cargo facilities and we have been doing that.”
On why the Buhari government wanted a national carrier, the minister responded: “Nigeria is situated at the centre of Africa, equidistant from all locations in Africa. 30.4 million square kilometres miles, 1.5 billion people, very green land. If Central and Eastern Africa is the belt of the continent, then Nigeria is the buckle. 200 million people and rising middle class, propensity to fly is high. Nigeria is a candidate for National Carrier.”
Sirika who insisted that the coming national carrier will be private sector driven added; “Private. Yes. 5 per cent government and no government stepping right in that company, no government control, no membership of government on board. Totally private and committed.
“Whatever we say we will do as a government since 2015, it has happened. that is why Tim Clark of Emirates, Qatar Airways and all of them are looking to go into Nigeria in multiple frequencies and multiple landing points because Nigeria is the right place for the airline business.
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