Starrys Obazei/December 15, 2022.
A group, called The Natives, has resolved to set up a monitoring body against saboteurs creating artificial scarcity of petroleum products in the country
The Natives, a joint action of citizens composed of student bodies, youth groups, local communities, NGOs, CSOs, and other special interest groups, vowed to collaborate with security agencies to burst the ring of saboteurs in the oil sector.
In a statement released on Wednesday by its president general, Smart Edwards, the group called on the Federal Government to put an end to all monopolies, diversions, and arm-twisting of NNPCL for private profit.
It said: “The transparency in the sector is for the public good, the production of oil, PMS, and gas, among others, are for public consumption, hence, good service delivery is also required for the right public perception of the NNPCL, which is their goal too.
“So, we cannot leave them to continuously battle this cartel alone, they are being bashed left right and center, when we know the perpetrators are living with us.
“We must raise this alarm and awareness amongst citizens. We must understand the facts, discover the missing links, know the factors hindering and fish out the persons or companies that are collaborators to end this reoccurrence.”
The group noted that it would enlighten citizens and set up a monitoring corridor around the operators in this sector.
It, however, commended the management of the new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) led by Mele Kyari, for putting measures in place to ensure that Nigerians are the real beneficiaries of the new policies in the oil sector.