The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, said the continued acute scarcity of petroleum products at different filling stations in the country has learnt credence to position of labour that the only way out is to ensure the product is refined locally.
The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said this through a statement in Abuja.
He said: “A crisis that started with the supply of sub-standard Premium Motor Oil (PMS) has now degenerated into a persisting scarcity of not only PMS but also other petroleum products such as diesel and aviation fuel.”
Wabba continued: “iI is deeply disturbing that motorists, Keke operators, bike riders and other users of petrol products now spend incredibly long hours at filling stations before being serviced or sent away empty-handed.
“Currently, a litre of aviation fuel sells as high as N580, while a litre of diesel goes as high as N625.
“In many parts of the country, a litre of PMS goes as high as N220. The socio-economic strain of both the scarcity and the high cost of petroleum products on ordinary Nigerians and manufacturing firms is best imagined. In many parts of Nigeria, manufacturing has ground to a halt.
“The current hemorrhage induced by the prevailing scarcity of petroleum products has very grave concomitant effects on the already parlous unemployment and security situation in our country.
“At the root of the current pain being faced by millions of Nigerians all over the country is the monstrously defective policy of nearly one hundred percent importation of refined petroleum products. Nigeria is about the only OPEC country trapped in the quagmire of complete dependence on foreign refineries for products it has capacity to produce locally.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress has at different times and through diverse media called the attention of the Federal government to the grand danger of outsourcing our energy needs to foreign interests.
“We warned of the looming crisis of energy insecurity, adulterated petroleum products, capital flight, decline in productivity, de-investment in the Nigerian economy, massive loss of jobs and upsurge in criminality cum violence all over the country.
“The persisting scarcity of refined petroleum products has unleashed a tsunami of very dire economic realities including exorbitant airfare, cancellation of scheduled flights, destruction of thousands of automobile engines by adulterated fuel and wastage of productive hours”.
The Congress further said: “There is a limit the people can stomach prevailing disruptions caused by petrol scarcity especially increased fares and associated dislocations in land, air, rail and water transportation and indeed hiccups in the manufacturing sector all linked to the current scarcity of refined petroleum products in the country.”