Delegates Urge FG to Legalise and Upgrade Illegal Refineries Considering the huge amount of money spent on the importation of petroleum products and the need to build the capacity of the Nigerian people, some delegates have urged the federal government to accept and upgrade the illegal refineries in the Niger Delta creeks. First to table the proposal during a debate on the reports of the Committee on Public Finance and Revenue is Professor Anya O. Anya. He wonders why refineries established by “half educated Nigerians” are called illegal refinery. He therefore admonishes the government on the need to develop a program that will allow the technology of these small refineries to be upgraded to standard. He wonders why an oil producing country like Nigeria will be importing refined oil. “It is because we have not used our God-given talents in science and technology to deal with our economy the way we should,” Prof. Anya posits. He argues that refining of petroleum products is the simplest technological process. According to him, the situation has caused the proliferation of illegal refinery in the Niger Delta. He reiterates that any country that produces anything owes it to itself to refine it because “science and technology showed whenever you processed any product; you add value up to 700%.” Prof. Anya reasons that when that is done, the country can then start to develop a bigger national program. Also making a case for the upgrade of the local refinery, General Jonathan Temlong urges Nigerians to start putting their “technological instincts” to use to refine all the petroleum products we produce in Nigeria for export. General Temlong argues that Nigeria has no business exporting crude oil; instead the country should be concerned about exporting refined products. “I think it is time we started looking seriously at the future of our country,” General Temlong admonishes. Senator Mimibariya Amange tells delegates that it is only in Nigeria people invent how to refine crude oil and government will send troops to blow it up instead of upgrading the invention. He calls on government to collaborate with the operators of illegal refineries in the creek to upgrade it in order to create employment and reduce restiveness in the Niger Delta region. He says, “Today, our boys in the creeks have learnt how to refine crude oil. The duty of government is to look at how they can upgrade that. We have invented how to refine crude oil, it is the duty of the federal government to work with the boys and create employment and then sell crude oil at subsidised rates to them.” “That way, they will not tamper with the pipeline,” Senator Amange reasons.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 04:42:22 +0000
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