FG Must Probe And Persecute Importers Of Adulterated Fuel – Group

A Coalition of 52 Northern Groups has come out to call on the Federal Government to probe and prosecute importers of adulterated fuel.

The group recently had its say via a statement, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to the coalition, this drastic measure has become important due to the harrowing experiences citizens go through to buy the product, so FG has to do the needful.

The group added that the government would actually spend over N200 billion to clean up the adulterated fuel before it can be consumed, in addition to the money already spent in purchasing, transporting and subsidising it.

It read, “We unequivocally demand that the importation of adulterated and methanol-blended petroleum must be thoroughly investigated.”

“The perpetrators must be identified, prosecuted and sanctioned appropriately to serve as deterrence to any saboteur.”

“This is important because the resultant effect of fuel scarcity across the country subjected Nigerians to waste many hours on long queues at filling stations, instigated hoarding of fuel in some places and disrupted people from their daily activities.”

“It is estimated that over N200 billion is now required to clean up the adulterated fuel before it can be consumed in addition to the money already spent in purchasing, transporting and subsidising the fuel.”

“CNG’s position is therefore clear: that those responsible for importing the methanol-blended fuel must pay for its clean-up or refinement and resources from the public treasury should not be used for that purpose.”

“CNG further observed that the Federal Government submitted a supplementary budget of N2.557 trillion to the National Assembly as subsidy for petroleum products from June to December 2022.”

“We have serious reservations on how this figure was arrived at. We are doubting it. We suspect inflation of figure.”

“The Federal Government must be transparent and accountable.”

“Evidently, the leadership of the NNPC and Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources have become saboteurs to Nigeria’s overall national economic interest through sabotaging economic activities because of this scandal; they exacerbated more hardship to citizens who are already drained and strained; they even rubbished the government they claim to be serving.”

“We were reliably informed that some influential people in the Presidency, the leadership of the NNPC, Ministry of Petroleum Resources and some marketers have been orchestrating chaos in a coordinated manner in the petroleum sector after they failed to remove fuel subsidy.”