President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,Comrade Festus Osifo,has emphasized the need for the Federal Government to ensure that the ailing refineries in Nigeria are in good shape before the country yank off fuel subsidy.
Nigeria,he said,cannot afford to weave its fuel removal and deregulation,around importation of products.
He spoke during a panel session at the Association of Energy Correspondent of Nigeric( NAEC) strategic International Conference in Lagos,where he also said Nigerians are more concerned with the positive impacts, which the removal of fuel subsidy would bring to them socially and economically, not several valueless talks and conferences on the issue.
He added that Nigerians are not against the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) but that government must get the nod of the citizens by regularly discussing the issue with them and what they stand to gain in the event that government remove subsidy.
Osifo, also the President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,PENGASSAN, said that Nigerians are only oncerned with reliable and affordable energy, not energy transition, which countries across the world have drawing timetables for its execution.
Osifo
He added:“Majority of Nigerians were not really interested in the energy transition but were only concerned about affordable and reliable energy.”
He implored the government to tell Nigerians on the issue of subsidy removal and how it would plough the money, which its spending on subsidy on critical socio-economic projects for the masses.
Osifo said, should be able to come out and tell Nigerians its cutting down its budget, so also the National Assembly needs to do so. That is leading by example.
He said that Nigerians are not really averse to the subsidy removal but the government must be ready to demonstrate not just by talking but by doing and by acting, he stated.
According to him,“The government must demonstrate that if subsidy must go, this must reflect in our education, it must reflect in our healthcare and also our level of infrastructure.
“So, the trust deficit that Nigerians have must be addressed before we can make any progress,” Osifo said.
