Saboteurs behind fuel scarcity, says Jonathan

Saboteurs behind fuel scarcity, says Jonathan

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 8:23 pm


•President Goodluck Jonathan:

•President Goodluck Jonathan:

Outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan today broke his disquieting silence on the fuel scarcity, now abating in Nigeria, attributing it to the handiwork of saboteurs.

It was the first time he would publicly comment on the fuel scarcity that grounded all activities in the country, with airlines running out of fuel, companies, businesses and schools shutting down, telecom companies announcing disruption in their services and ordinary Nigerians not being able to move around.

Jonathan who spoke today at the valedictory Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja said sabotage was behind the strike action by the oil union, whose members refused to lift fuel, when they know the NNPC had 31 day reserve.

He didn’t comment on the immediate cause of the crisis, which was the N200billion subsidy debt dispute between oil importers and his government’s Ministry of Finance

He said his government has had to operate under the harshest of conditions, some of which were politically motivated. He mentioned the protracted ASUU strike and the Boko Haram war north east of Nigeria.

“And I have always challenged those who criticize us should (to) compare what we have done in the various sectors with what others have done.

“May be, we don’t need to enumerate it but If you look at the rail system of this country, what we have done within this period.

“In fact, even in the oil industry that received so much attack, one thing that we have done was the Nigerian content law that has revolutionised the oil industry.

“There was a lot of fabrication going on in Lagos and other places that was never like this before.

“Nigerians are playing key role in the oil sector and people sometimes forget it and even with that probably we have offended some people.But the Nigerian content has really helped so many Nigerians to play big in the oil industry.

“In the Agriculture and power sectors, even in foreign relations, from 1960 to date, we have been members of the security council as non permanent member five times, out of these two times have been within these five years.

“We have been an independent nation for 55 years and been in the UN five times as member of the security council, out of that five times, two times were within this five years.

“That shows clearly that the rest of the world appreciate our little contributions to global issues.

“Even in education, the road systems, we have added Kashimbilla to our dams, sports we have done wonderfully well within this period.

“We have achieved growth in MSME’s, and of course the financial inclusion within this period is more than ever before.

“You can go on and mention almost all the sectors.’’

He said that his administration witnessed the longest politically motivated strike in the education sector as well as Boko Haram insurgency.

He said the current fuel scarcity was politically motivated as the nation had 31 days reserve but those who wanted to bring the administration down refused to lift petroleum.

Jonathan said he was grateful that the nation had navigated out of the challenges.

He thanked the ministers, Nigerians and the media for their support, adding that the ministers were still serving and that the cabinet had not yet been dissolved until it completed the transition programmes.

The ministers took time to shower encomiums on the President for his stewardship and stressed for collaboration among them even out of office.


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