SPN DEMANDS
NATIONALIZATION AND DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT OF THE OIL INDUSTRY AS THE WAY OUT OF
THIS QUAGMIRE
PRESS STATEMENT (231217)
The Socialist Party
of Nigeria (SPN) condemns the federal government and the oil marketers/tycoons
for failing to guarantee adequate supply of fuel and thereby causing untold
hardship for the vast majority of Nigerians.
We place the blame of
this fuel scarcity at the doorstep of the Buhari/APC capitalist government
whose lame duck neo-liberal policies of the past two years are what have
ensured that the oil industry and, together with it the fate of Nigerians,
continue to be at the mercy of oil tycoons and other vested profit-first
interest.
Instead of undoing
the failed neo-liberal policies of the past PDP governments, the Buhari
government has spent most of the last two years deepening them. For instance,
instead of rapidly refurbishing old refineries and building new ones, the
Buhari government relinquished this responsibility to Aliko Dangote – a rich
business tycoon who has demonstrated with his cement business that profit is
his only goal. The consequence of this disastrous policy is what we are seeing
at the moment.
We challenge the
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour
Congress (ULC) to act fast to save the working and toiling people from the
agony they are going through at the moment. We demand emergency meetings of the
organs of the labour centres with a view to discuss how the labour movement
should respond to this crisis including setting up "workers and community
action committees" to move round petrol stations to tackle hoarding and
enforce sale of fuel at official prices as well as mobilization for warning
strikes and mass protests across the country. The labour movement will have to
embark on mass actions to force government to ensure adequate supply of
petroleum products. Also labour must make it clear that any planned hike in
fuel price would be resisted with mass struggle.
Nigerians must
remember that the Buhari government while increasing fuel price from N86.50k to
N145 in May 2016 had not only claimed that this measure would drive down the
price at some point, it had also promised that it would resolve all crisis of
supply and distribution. Now what we are experiencing today is completely
different with petroleum products selling at N200 per litre and above.
Also importantly, to
end the perennial fuel scarcity, labour and pro-working masses organizations
must demand the immediate repair of old refineries and building of new ones by
the government. Besides, we must not allow an arrangement where the working
people and nation's economy will be at the mercy of Dangote who when his
refinery is in operation may decide to go on a boss's strike and strangulate
the economy at will in order to impose any price on petroleum products.
Fuel scarcity has
lingered on for almost one month now and there seems not to be an end in sight.
This scarcity has caused great hardship for Nigerians, disrupting the yuletide
season while also making movement/transportation much more expensive and
difficult.
This perennial
scarcity is mindboggling considering the fact that Nigeria is the 12th biggest
crude oil producer and the 8th biggest exporter of crude oil in the world but
imports most of the refined petroleum products because of lack of refining
infrastructure. It is just like a fish in the ocean but still thirsty! For some
time now, government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
has been importing virtually all refined petroleum products but has largely
abandoned storage and distribution to private profiteers who sometimes embark
on bosses' strikes and sabotage. This arrangement has been left intact because
the ruling class both in government and business are in an unholy alliance to
rob the working masses and the poor. Hence, the masses are at the mercy of
greedy top public officials, government representatives and their private
business collaborators. Though, NNPC is a public agency, it is bedeviled with
bureaucracy and corruption such that undermines public interest because of lack
of democratic management and control.
The Buhari-led
government that promised change still carries on the rotten old order and has
further entrenched neo-liberal policies that guarantee the interest of a few
privileged persons at the expense of the vast majority.
The Socialist Party
of Nigeria (SPN) calls for the nationalization (public ownership) of the entire
oil industry under democratic control and management of workers and consumers.
We hold that this is the only way the oil industry can be efficiently managed,
petroleum products will be adequately supplied and affordable such that the
interest of all will be guaranteed.
Chinedu Bosah
National Secretary,
Socialist Party of Nigeria
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