Onuesoke Faults FG’s Plan to Import Petroleum Products from Niger Republic

The Chairman DAS Energy Services, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has described as embarrassing the federal government plan to import petroleum products from Niger Republic.

Onuesoke, who is also a former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, said the pronouncement sounded unbelievable “because Nigeria has four refineries while Niger Republic has only one.”

Recall that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources announced recently that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Niger Republic to import petroleum products from the desert country.

Reacting to the announcement while addressing journalists at the Osubi Airport, Onuesoke said it is a shame that “Nigeria would import fuel from a desert Niger Republic because Nigeria cannot maintain its four refineries,” adding that what the pronouncement meant is that Nigeria could soon import cassava for its Garri consumption.

“What a sad commentary. I watched the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Silva, on television describing it as a good development that Nigeria would soon import petrol from the Niger Republic. This is the true definition of incompetence, cluelessness and mediocrity.

“After five years of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) promise of change, things have gotten from bad to worse. Nigeria has four refineries but it is not its priority to make them work, but to import from a smaller and poor country. My feeling is that this government is bent on empowering Niger Republic for whatever reason. First it was a railway construction and now importation of fuel,” he lamented.