A cross-section of public and civil servants in Ibadan have implored the Federal Government (FG) to make the Port Harcourt revitalised refinery impactful on the pump price of petroleum.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Wednesday, the federal and state workers lauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the breakthrough.
They, however, urged the FG to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the refinery through the reduction of the pump price of petroleum.
While commending Tinubu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for the revitalisation, a federal worker, Mr James Boboye, noted that the feat was long overdue.
Boboye called on the government to ensure the operations of the refinery continued without hitches toward making the country self-sufficient in terms of daily fuel consumption.
Another federal government worker, Mrs Ramat Adeleke, described the news of the refinery’s completion and its fuel loading operations as a surprise.
“This is because we’ve waited for too long with lost hope.
“Now that our hope about the refinery has been renewed, I urged the government to reduce the pump price of petrol so that it will have multiplying effects on transport fare and other economic activities,” he said.
Likewise, a state government worker, Alhaji Mukaila Arinola, said he was sure operations at the refinery would positively impact the nation’s economy, especially the transportation sector.
Arinola cautioned the FG to be careful of some unpatriotic individuals who might not want the reduction in the petroleum pump price.
According to him, the government should avoid heeding any advice against slashing the cost of petrol, since the product from the refinery is locally refined and devoid of dollar involvement.
Similarly, a public servant, Mr Festus Ogungbemi, said it would amount to fruitless efforts should the petroleum pump price remain high or the same as imported fuel.
“I will implore President Tinubu to consider the current plights of Nigerians as occasioned by the hike in petroleum pump price.
“He should, without wasting time, announce the reduction in petroleum pump price so that the hardship facing Nigerians could reduce. (NAN)
