Legal luminary Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has urged the Federal Government to fix its refineries instead of relying on a private refinery for the production and supply of fuel for domestic consumption.
He reflected on the mrtering contracts for flow stations and urged the government to offer more explanations.
Agbakoba said in a statement in Lagos that foreign companies are maintaining huge influence on the oil sector to the detriment of the country.
He said: “The announcement by the Federal Government that it will provide 186 meters at our flow stations is very curious and needs explanation from the Minister of petroleum.
“A Flow station is simply a tank where crude oil is stored as they flow in the oil pipelines, awaiting export. The international oil companies are responsible for the flow of crude oil because they manage the pipelines and flow stations as operators.
“If the federal government wants to place meters at these flow stations to know how much crude we produce for export, it follows that nobody, apart from the international oil companies can actually say what amount of crude oil we export on a daily basis! Imagine you go to a fuel station to buy 10 litres of petrol but the station has no meter.
“How do you determine how much has been sold to you? The information by the Minister of Petroleum confirms what I say that the oil companies have taken control of our crude oil resources and revenue.
“I thank the minister and urge him to protect us from these oil companies who have appropriated our crude oil resources.”
The onetime Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President said the Federal Government cannot solely rely on refineries built by private individual.
On Prof. Itse Sagay’s (SAN) remark that the constitution allows the Federal Government to take over the Dangote Refinery, pay him compensation and then sell the products at the prices Nigerians can afford, Agbakoba queried: “But why take over what a private individual built? Why can’t the Federal Government fix its refineries all these years and make Dangote irrelevant. Why allow an efficient Business man hold you to ransom when there is a very simple alternative?
He added: ”The simple alternative for us all is this – let Nigeria work. Let there be light. Let there be food. Let there be water. Let there be jobs. Let there be money, schools, health care, roads etc. Let the government fix its own refineries and bluff Dangote.”
