The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG) in Ibadan has called on the Federal Government to establish a refinery in the South-West.
Chief Salimon Oladiti, the PTD National Deputy Chairman, made this known at a news conference in Ibadan on Tuesday.
Oladiti said that establishing the refinery would ease the pressure on the NNPC Depot in Ejigbo, Lagos.
According to him, until serious interventions are made, the shortfall being currently experienced in the supply of petroleum products will not abate.
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG) in Ibadan has called on the Federal Government to establish a refinery in the South-West.
Chief Salimon Oladiti, the PTD National Deputy Chairman, made this known at a news conference in Ibadan on Tuesday.
Oladiti said that establishing the refinery would ease the pressure on the NNPC Depot in Ejigbo, Lagos.
According to him, until serious interventions are made, the shortfall being currently experienced in the supply of petroleum products will not abate.
He advised that the Federal Government and the governors in the South-West to collaborate on how to boost the security at the NNPC facilities.
“We want to appeal to our governors in the South-West to partner with NNPC on the security of the right of way of the corporation.
“We also want the government to approve the establishment of a refinery in the region. This is necessary in view of the pressure on the Lagos-Ejigbo depot.
“You can imagine the number of tankers on the way to Lagos on a daily basis. The situation at Ogere, where the tankers line up every day is an eyesore," Oladiti said.
He said that the price could only be controlled if the product was available at NNPC.
He expressed regrets that the depots in the South-West – Ejigbo, Mosinmi, Ore, Ibadan and Ilorin classified as System 2B – were presently being shut down.
Oladiti said that government should be conscious of the sensitivity of the South-West and set up a refinery there so as to address the issue of petroleum product delivery into the country.
He attributed the shortfalls in product supply to the activities of vandals at the NNPC right of way at Arepo in Ogun.
Meanwhile, the union has commended the Oyo State Government for its efforts in addressing some of the security challenges in the NNPC right of way in the state.
Oladiti denied as false speculations that the union would embark on strike because of the petroleum product scarcity.
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