KINGSLEY BENNETH, ABUJA
ABUJA : The Presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the 2023 general election, Felix Osakwe, has expressed disappointment over the high cost of fuel in the country.
Speaking with journalists at the weekend in Abuja, Osakwe bemoaned what he described as the inefficiency in the oil and gas industry.
He condemned the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, criticizing what according to him is the lack of empathy and solidarity from government.
According to Osakwe, the situation shows the depth of government’s failure, as he pointed out the cost of transportation as a result of the high cost of fuel has further eroded the essence of democracy.
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This is as he absolved the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) of sole blame in the crisis in the industry, adding that President Bola Tinubu as the Minister of Petroleum should give direct order to Mele Kyari, NNPCL GCEO.
Osakwe said: “You know this government is not doing anything right and they are not listening to the voice of reason. I don’t know what they really want in this country. We do not know where we are right now and everybody knows that things are not good. The earlier Mr President sits down and looks at every aspect of life, the better.”
He queried the administration’s strategy to tackle the crisis in the oil and gas sector, insisting on the need to restructure the oil regulator’s management for increased efficiency.
He however expressed doubt at the ability of Tinubu to ensure the needed restructuring of the Corporation, adding, “Even during the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, both Mele Kyari and Buhari knew what they were doing. Only God knows what they were doing, but Nigerians didn’t.
“How will a President of a country designate himself as the Minister of Petroleum? Out of 200 million Nigerians he did not trust anyone to occupy the position as Minister of Petroleum? Even can’t the president pick his son as Minister of petroleum? There is something that Nigerians do not know. There is a lot of conspiracy going on in that place we don’t know which has led to our suffering.”
Continuing, Osakwe urged punishment for the NNPCL who made discrediting comment over pms produced by Dangote refinery, stressing “The other time, a general manager in NNPCL declared that Dangote oil is not good. The official came out openly on national television to say the fuel is not good, the diesel is not good. They did not reprimand the official for misleading Nigerians and nobody can talk about that.
