Deal with the fuel crisis and stop giving politicians pensions, PENGASSAN advises the FG

The Federal Government has been urged to address the ongoing gasoline issue across all of Nigeria promptly, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

This is because a key oil industry union has accused the Nigerian government and downstream oil industry players of being to blame for the extended statewide shortage of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or gasoline.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, as well as significant and independent oil marketers, depot owners, among others, are among the government and oil industry operators in the downstream that PENGASSAN is criticizing.

Festus Osifo, the union’s president, told journalists on Thursday in Abuja at PENGASSAN’s national executive council meeting, “The persistent shortages of PMS across the country has become a source of pain to the Nigerian people as the current shortages are being perpetuated by players in the downstream sector in order to hike the price far above the government approved the meeting to discuss the implications of the numerous challenges confronting Nigeria and oil workers.”

An further issue arises when non-state players start to assert control over fuel pricing considerably above the level set by the government under the current subsidy system.

Because no responsible and receptive government would bury its head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich while the citizens are being brutally exploited, it is even more troubling that the government is demonstrating a high level of responsibility in the unwholesome situation by remaining silent and refusing to directly and publicly address the harrowing experiences of Nigerians in the current situation.