PENGASSAN blames fuel scarcity on lack of forex

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday attributed the fuel scarcity to the non-availability of forex.

The PENGASSAN President, Mr Festus Osifo, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

“Although the increase in the price of crude oil in the international market is partly responsible for the surge, from our findings, the non-availability of foreign exchange (FX) at Central Bank of Nigeria rate to marketers is largely responsible for the increase as they source FX from the parallel market.

“This is without prejudice to the activities of unscrupulous marketers that are bent on milking Nigerians dry,” he said.

Osifo, therefore, urged the Federal Government to remove all forms of taxes and levies from the importation of petroleum products.

He also called for the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas and other gas producers to be mandated to focus more on domestic gas production.

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“Efforts should be intensified to fast-track the current rate of rehabilitation of the nation’s four refineries to guarantee energy security; while on the short term, make FX available to the importers at the official rate.

“Should this abnormality and distortion continue, it has the ability to drive the country into another round of recession and further impoverish the already battered citizens,“ Osifo said.

Speaking on the state of the power sector, the union leader called for the unbundling of the sector.

He insisted that the power generation, transmission and distribution be moved from the exclusive list to the concurrent list in the Nigerian constitution.

Osifo urged the government to review the 2014  privatisation of power generating and distribution companies, noting that the operating companies had become a burden to the nation.

“We have watched times without number the rush to increase electricity tariffs even when there is a drop in power generation.

“We insist that there should be no increase in the tariff without a corresponding increase in power supply and total elimination from an era of estimated billings that have resulted in consumers paying more than their actual consumption.

“Also, Discos staff deliberately frustrate the attempt by consumers to acquire the pre-paid electric meter in order to engage in the old practices that encourage fraud; this act should be completely gotten rid of,” he said.

(NAN)