The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has called for the privatisation of oil refineries in the country to address the perennial crisis bedeviling the oil sector.
The Speaker made the recommendation on Thursday while playing host to top management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited led by the Group Managing Director, Mr Mele Kyari in Abuja.
While describing the state of the refineries as shameful, Abbas added that NNPCL workers’ work hours in the last 20 years could be less than a month, yet they get paid, promoted, and cared for.
He said, “There is a need to make these refineries have multi-dimensional uses. If there is no crude oil, are there other activities that can make the workers active so that what they earn is deserved? I need you and your management to look at how we can turn around this decade of losses;
“I want you to put it as part of your cardinal objectives ways to privatise our refineries so that they can be active. In the near future, they will be able to compete with new refineries that will come up,” he said.
Abbas said that the NNPCL is central to the economic development of Nigeria pledging the commitment of the house to supporting the company to succeed.