It’s shameful Nigeria still imports fuel, Obaseki laments

…as Dangote says his refinery will be ready next year
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has lamented Nigeria’s continued importation of petroleum products despite being one of the largest producers of crude oil in the world.

The governor spoke with journalists at Ewohimi, Esan South Council of Edo State, at the 10-year remembrance service for Chief Jeremiah Ighodalo, father of the Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

He described the continuous importation of fuel into the nation as a shame to Nigeria. He said: “It’s a shame that Nigeria is still importing fuel when we are one of the largest producers of crude oil in the continent. As a nation, we should not be importing fuel at this point in our life. It’s a patriotic shame, borrowing from the words of Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adiche,” he said.

Speaking to journalists on the possibility of his refinery commencing operations and providing petroleum products to Nigerians, the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said the plant would, hopefully, begin supply of products in 2023.

“The refinery can provide petroleum products for the whole of Nigeria and some parts of West and Central Africa hopefully by 2023,” he noted.

IN another development, Obaseki, called for collaboration of stakeholders in developing a master plan for the tourism sector that would impact on socio-economic development of Edo people.

The governor made the call at a workshop organised for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with a view to develop a master plan for the sector, at Government House, in Benin City.

He said: “The workshop is to enable us to design a plan that we can act on and execute such that, as a government and people, we will have a compass where we are going.

“We don’t want to create a document and leave. Let us create a plan for ourselves. The plans are what we will leave. We cannot continue the way it used to be in the past. So, from what we are seeing today, what should we do now? Do we just fold our arms? I think, as a government, we should be able to build a roadmap.”

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy, Policy, Projects and Performance Management, Mrs. Sarah Esangbedo-Ajose Adeogun, said stakeholders would come up with a proposal from MDAs that would key into the tourism project of the state government.