Tinubu Assures Nigerians Refineries Will Return to Full Operation, Laments CNG Benefits Going to Truck Owners

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the country’s refineries will eventually return to operation, saying his administration is working on a broader economic reset to make the facilities functional and profitable.

The President, however, expressed concern that the expected benefits of the Federal Government’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative were not reaching ordinary Nigerians as quickly as they should.

According to Tinubu, much of the financial benefit from the cheaper CNG alternative appears to be ending up in the pockets of truck owners rather than being reflected in lower transportation costs for commuters.

The President spoke on Thursday when he received the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.Tinubu described NUPENG as an important partner in the country’s economy, noting that petroleum workers occupy a critical position in Nigeria’s economic structure.

“You occupy a very critical nerve of the economy of this country,” he told the union leaders.

Reflecting on his decision to remove the petrol subsidy, Tinubu recalled the resistance that greeted the policy and the threat of industrial action by oil workers when he was campaigning for the presidency.

“We had threat of possible strike and something, and I served notice; you may strike all you want, but fuel subsidy will be gone. And today, to the benefit of our great country,” he said.

The President said he would soon publish details of how the savings from subsidy removal were being utilised, arguing that the funds were already supporting salary payments and major infrastructure projects at the federal, state and local government levels.

“I will soon publish how it is being utilized,” Tinubu said.

He pointed to ongoing and completed road projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Kano and Sokoto-Badagry highways, saying the investments were part of efforts to strengthen the economy and improve transportation across the country.

According to him, the reforms being implemented by his administration amount to a major financial and structural reset designed to put the Nigerian economy on a more sustainable footing.

Tinubu Wants CNG Benefits to Reach CommutersOn CNG, the President appealed to transport operators and truck owners to ensure that the savings from the cheaper fuel source eventually translate into benefits for Nigerians who depend on public transportation.

“Equally, the introduction of compressed natural gas — well, I will appeal to you: we will do more and encourage you, but ask your drivers to let the benefits trickle down to commuters too, because whatever benefit is coming from CNG is going into the pockets of truck owners. It’s not spreading as fast as I would like, but it should spread,” he said.

Tinubu also addressed concerns over the state of Nigeria’s refineries, assuring the union that the facilities would return to operation.

“The refineries you mentioned are going to come back to work,” he said, stressing that simply seeing flames and smoke from a refinery does not necessarily mean the facility is operating effectively.

The President said the ultimate objective was to ensure that the refineries operate efficiently and generate the economic value for which they were built.

“Ordinary flame and smoke from a refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it was built,” he stated.

Tinubu also accepted responsibility for fixing the problems inherited by his administration, saying he could not continue to blame previous governments for the country’s challenges.

“I’m not a man who will look back and blame everyone, because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessors. No matter what happened in the past years, it’s my responsibility now as President to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and I’m going to do it.”

He acknowledged that governing a democracy comes with its own difficulties but expressed optimism that sustained reforms and determination would eventually produce better results for Nigerians.

“It’s not easy to manage a democratic regime, full of twists and turns, hills and valleys,” Tinubu said.

“But through perseverance, endurance and good determination we can bring about relief — like the joy of a newborn baby after a difficult pregnancy. Motherhood is painful, but the joy is everlasting. I promise you, you will enjoy a better Nigeria.”

NUPENG Raises Alarm Over CasualisationEarlier, NUPENG President, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, appealed to Tinubu to intervene in the growing practice of casual employment in Nigeria’s oil industry, particularly in the upstream sector.

Oladiti described the practice as unhealthy and said repeated efforts by the unions to persuade some oil companies to discontinue it had produced little result.

He said NUPENG had maintained a cordial relationship with international oil companies and indigenous operators but could no longer ignore what he described as the widespread casualisation of workers.

“Your Excellency, our relationship with the international oil companies and indigenous players in the upstream sector has been very cordial. However, we want to seize this opportunity to bring to your attention an unhealthy trend we have been trying to correct with little to no success. It is the casualisation of workers, particularly in the upstream sector,” he said.

Oladiti noted that NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had been cautious about industrial action because of the enormous consequences a shutdown of the oil industry could have on the Nigerian economy.He appealed to the President to use his office to compel affected companies to address the issue.

“We have engaged the management of some of the affected companies without results. Mr. President, we urge you to use your good offices to stop the casualisation of workers in our sector.”

NUPENG Seeks Revival of NPSC DepotsThe NUPENG president also commended the Federal Government for rehabilitating and dualising major federal highways, saying improved roads would make the movement of petroleum products safer and easier for tanker drivers.

He, however, called for the revival of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) depots across the country.According to him, restoring the depots would complement the government’s efforts to revive Nigeria’s refineries and strengthen the petroleum distribution system.

“We also want to commend your administration’s move to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries through partnership with Chinese firms. Your Excellency, we humbly request that the same energy and drive to inject life back into the refineries be extended to the decaying Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company depots across the country,” Oladiti said.

He further recommended that the depots be handed over to credible private investors under an equity arrangement to ensure efficient management and long-term sustainability.

“We strongly recommend they be handed over to private investors to manage under an equity arrangement,” he added.