Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
The federal government says plans have been concluded to host a national conference on the integration of artisanal/modular petroleum refinery operations. This was disclosed by Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, during a press conference on Tuesday, March 9, in Abuja.
Enang reportedly said the aim of the conference is to seek ways to increase refining capacity and cause a drop in the price of petroleum products. The presidential aide disclosed that the conference is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17. Enang was quoted to have said: “As the cost of crude goes higher, the cost of refined petroleum products goes higher but if we refine these petroleum products in Nigeria, the cost will be very low. And, the intendment of the conference is to mobilise these resources so that we can bring the prices of refined petroleum products down to below N100 per litre.”
Earlier, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) explained that it has no intention of increasing the price of petrol in the country contrary to what is being alleged. Kennie Obateru, the NNPC’s head of public affairs division, in a statement on Sunday, February 28, noted that the organisation cannot be considering a raise in the product at a time when it is still negotiating with organised labour on a framework suitable for citizens. Obateru stated that any move by the NNPC at the moment to increase the price of fuel will jeopardise its engagement with labour unions on how best to lessen Nigerians’ hardship. (legit.ng)
