Legalise Local Refineries, Ijaw Youths Tell FG
Mon Mar 07, 2016 01:31:pm National
2K By sosa hills
As part of the solution to the perennial problems of fuel scarcity in the country, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has called on the federal government to legalise local refineries and harness the potentials of those engaged in the illicit act.
The President of the Council, Mr Udengs Eradiri, who made the call yesterday in Yenagoa, said legalising the operations of local refineries would deal with oil theft and introduce quality control as well as make products available through formal channels in order to enhance revenue.
According to him, licensing modular refineries will reduce the pressure on the naira as the foreign exchange spent on importing refined products will be conserved and hence shoring up the value of the currency.
Eradiri applauded the pronouncement by the Minister of Solid Mineral, Dr Kayode Fayemi, that illegal miners were being encouraged to form cooperatives to formalise their activities.
He said such an arrangement should be extended to operators of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta who had exhibited ingenuity in refining products in make-shift refineries' and impacting the environment and economy adversely.
According to him, "We welcome the idea being mooted by the Hon Minister of Solid Minerals and urged the federal government to also extend such gestures to the people involved in illegal refining in the region.
"If the skills of these people are further developed, they will be adding to the local refining capacity of the country; all that is required is for government to train them, license them and set the standards and thousands of jobs will be created.
"We are supporting the idea and shall shortly commence the collation of data on the operators of these bush refineries and bring them together for the government to work with them."
The President of the Council, Mr Udengs Eradiri, who made the call yesterday in Yenagoa, said legalising the operations of local refineries would deal with oil theft and introduce quality control as well as make products available through formal channels in order to enhance revenue.
According to him, licensing modular refineries will reduce the pressure on the naira as the foreign exchange spent on importing refined products will be conserved and hence shoring up the value of the currency.
Eradiri applauded the pronouncement by the Minister of Solid Mineral, Dr Kayode Fayemi, that illegal miners were being encouraged to form cooperatives to formalise their activities.
He said such an arrangement should be extended to operators of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta who had exhibited ingenuity in refining products in make-shift refineries' and impacting the environment and economy adversely.
According to him, "We welcome the idea being mooted by the Hon Minister of Solid Minerals and urged the federal government to also extend such gestures to the people involved in illegal refining in the region.
"If the skills of these people are further developed, they will be adding to the local refining capacity of the country; all that is required is for government to train them, license them and set the standards and thousands of jobs will be created.
"We are supporting the idea and shall shortly commence the collation of data on the operators of these bush refineries and bring them together for the government to work with them."
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