AfriPulse
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has aligned with the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in rejecting the planned sale of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
In a recent joint letter to President Bola Tinubu by NUPENG and PENGASSAN, the two unions unequivocally rejected the proposed amendment to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), meant to prepare the ground for a seamless sale of NNPCL’s equity in high-performing joint ventures.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesman of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the petroleum industry is under siege.
According to the coalition, if the proposed amendment of PIA and the sale of NNPCL are allowed, would undermine Nigeria’s energy sovereignty and engender a brazen transfer of public assets into private hands in a manner never experienced in the history of the country.
“We have carefully examined the proposed amendment to the PIA, and we are
convinced that this action forms part of a deliberate and calculated effort to hollow out NPC Limited, dismantle institutional checks and balances, and pave the way for the fire-sale of Nigeria’s most valuable national assets to private, politically-connected interests at the expense of 200 million Nigerians,” the party said.
The ADC insisted the both the planned sale of the public oil assets did not represent reform, but regression, which must be rejected by Nigerians.
Continuing, Abdullahi said, “There is also the grave issue of energy security. By handing over decisive
control of these assets to private interests, the government weakens Nigeria’s ability to stabilise energy supply, respond to global oil shocks, or plan long
term energy strategies in the national interest.
“If we sell off our oil assets, we are not just parting with numbers on a balance
sheet – we are surrendering the lifeblood of our economy and the backbone of
our national sovereignty.
“It would mean that Nigeria, a country that once stood
as a giant of energy in Africa, would wake up tomorrow without control over
its own resources.
“It would mean that the revenues which fund our schools,
hospitals, roads, and pensions will flow into private pockets while our treasury
runs dry.
“It would mean NNPC Limited, stripped of its most profitable
holdings, will stagger under debt and obligations it can no longer meet, risking
collapse and the loss of thousands of jobs.
“It would mean that our energy
security —our ability to stabilise fuel supply, protect against global shocks,
and plan for the future – will be handed to a few private entities whose only
loyalty is to profit, not to the Nigerian people.
“Most dangerously of all, it
would set an irreversible precedent, turning our common wealth into private
property, and leaving future generations of Nigerians with nothing but
memories of what was once theirs.”
The party further warned that what ahead is not merely a matter of policy or
legislative adjustment, but a battle for the very soul of the nation’s
economy.
“At stake is the kind of Nigeria we are building, and more
importantly, for whom we are building it,” the party added.
The opposition coalition called on all segments of the Nigerian society “to rise to this critical occasion.”
“Civil society organisations must stand firm and resist this unfolding plunder of
our national resources. The National Assembly, both current members and
those who have served before, must reject any attempt to amend the Petroleum
Industry Act in ways that serve private or political interests over the public
good.
“Labor unions, particularly those in the vital oil and gas sector, must act decisively to protect our national sovereignty and strategic assets.
“And to the
young people of Nigeria – those who will bear the long-term consequences of
today’s decisions, we urge you to organise, speak out, and demand full
transparency and accountability.
“At 65, Nigeria must not stand for power, profit, or politics. Nigeria must stand
for the people,” it added.
The ADC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting
Nigeria’s commonwealth, resisting corruption in all its forms, and defending
the economic rights of future generations.
“Let this be our legacy – that when it mattered most, we stood up, spoke out,
and said no to the selling of Nigeria,” the party concluded.
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
