Refineries’ll work again, Tinubu assures petroleum workers

President Bola Tinubu assured Nigeria's petroleum workers that refineries would resume operation under his administration. He emphasized that the revival of the refineries would hinge on productivity rather than mere activity, a stark contrast to previous attempts. During a meeting with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Tinubu addressed their concerns about the long-delayed revival of Nigeria's state-owned refineries.

He clarified that the mere sight of a refinery's flame and smoke did not guarantee its functionality; profitability and value for money were the real indicators.

Tinubu also encouraged vehicle and truck owners who had switched to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to share the resulting cost savings with commuters. He warned against pocketing the full benefit of CNG for themselves, stating that the benefits of such fuel efficiency should trickle down to the commuters. Tinubu tied these commitments to the broader fiscal reset his government has undertaken since 2023, attributing the funding for major road infrastructure projects to these reforms.

He highlighted the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Kano, and Sokoto-Badagry roads as examples of successful projects benefiting the economy and public safety.

Recalling a tense meeting at Akodo Resort in Lagos, Tinubu revealed that he had been transparent from the outset about the direction of subsidy policy. He reiterated that no threats of industrial action would lead to the reinstatement of petrol subsidies. The President expressed his appreciation for the union's partnership in progress and refuted claims that subsidy removal had adversely affected the common man.

He argued that the main beneficiaries of the reforms included ordinary salary earners across various tiers of government, including local government workers.

Tinubu defended the removal of fuel subsidies, stating that the main beneficiaries were regular salary earners in the federal government, market women, and other citizens. He took full responsibility for fixing the economy, acknowledging the inherited state of affairs and promising to make it work for the benefit of the population.

He appealed for continued partnership through the challenges of governance, likening it to the pain of childbirth and the joy of a newborn. Tinubu promised a better Nigeria, encouraging perseverance, endurance, and determination to achieve this goal.