PUNCH
The Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, has revealed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has concluded an arrangement to have one of the four refineries repaired and operating at an optimal level before the end of the year.
Kyari made the revelation when he visited the party secretariat for a meeting with the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
The NNPC boss, who arrived at the premises at about 12.30 pm, was warmly received by the chairman and members of the National Working Committee.
Addressing newsmen after the session, Kyari explained that following the hike in pump price and the resultant effect on commercial fare, the president is working out some palliative measures to ease the pains of Nigerians.
He also added that there is an ongoing process of rehabilitation to ensure one of the refineries is ready this year.
“I’m aware that Mr president has directed some engagements and some palliatives will be put in place. I am very sure this will happen. There is an ongoing process of rehabilitation. One of them will come this year, the second one will come on stream next year and then the third will follow thereafter.
“Of course, it is very obvious that we can no longer afford subsidy. Subsidy bills have piled up. The country is not able to settle NNPC for the money we are spending on subsidy. Therefore pricing this petroleum at the market price is the right thing to do at this point in time and I believe it would benefit the country in the long term,” he said.
Recall Tinubu had affirmed during his swearing-in ceremony that his administration would not continue to pay subsidy on petroleum products.
He said the Federal Government was struggling to fund subsidies, noting that it was no longer justifiable to continue.
The development had triggered a 100 per cent hike in transport fares, while long queues resurfaced at fuel stations across Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Benin, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Kano, Makurdi and other major cities and urban areas.
To worsen the situation, many outlets shut down their facilities and refused to dispense fuel to motorists, further creating scarcity and panic buying at the fuel stations that were opened to customers.
But Kyari confessed on Thursday said that the country can no longer sustain such an expensive regime.
According to him, over 38 per cent of the total fuel distributed…
