A group, Conference by Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) has called for the immediate sack of the Minister of State Petroleum, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, and Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Limited, Mele Kyari over the recent fuel hike.
Its National Coordinator, Danesi Momoh, in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja said the vast majority of Nigerians can no longer feed or go out to look for work as a result of the fuel hike.
He noted when the NNPCL lied that Port Harcourt refinery would start functioning in December 2023, Lokpobiri did not only join the lie, but went further early this year to deceive Nigeria that the refinery was indeed ready.
The group said: “Also, when the NNPCL admitted that it imported bad fuel into the country, meaning that it went for a poor quality oil and skipped the necessary tests, the Minister of State who is supposed to adequately inform and advise the President on Oil matters pretended that it did not happen.
“A lot of public funds went down the drain as they had to evacuate millions of litres of Petroleum products. Many Nigerians lost their vehicle engines to severe damages caused by that serious act of negligence. This matter, we heard, is now being litigated by some Nigerians. We salute them and promise our support.”
The group added that NNPCL was in denial of its financial insolvency, only to later admit that they are in debt of over $6 billion, saying this was a company declaring profit a few weeks ago.
It noted: “Again, the Minister of State is there either as a direct accomplice or someone who has no control or role. If therefore he has nothing to contribute to the system, let him go home
“There is a limit to what Nigerians can take. And it has gotten to a suffocating level. We, as advocates for the unemployed and underemployed Nigerians have decided to start somewhere. And that is to call out the political leadership of the oil sector and demand his clarity of position or immediate sack. We are also calling once again, that this present crop of managers of NNPCL should join the Minister of State.”