A human right group, Concerned Nigerians has threatened to embark on a mass protest across the country against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for shielding companies and individuals responsible for the importation of contaminated fuel into the country.
The group said the NNPC lacked the political will to punish the offenders, adding that the corporation had been compromised to permit all manners of contaminated products into the country to the detriment of law-abiding Nigerians.
The Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, stated this in a release on Monday in Abuja.
The group described the tantrums and exchange of words between the NNPC and independent marketers as ridiculous, absurd and embarrassing.
The statement urged the NNPC to ban the culprits from importing fuel into the country for the next two years adding that failure to take the recommended steps would lead to mass unrest
at the NNPC headquarters.
The group said, “You are aware that in recent weeks, there has been a resurgence of fuel queues across the country, arising from the importation of contaminated fuel.
“The foregoing has created severe hardship for the average Nigerian who has lost valuable man hours. We, however, note with dismay that more than two weeks after the issue came to light, there has been no attempt whatsoever to penalise the importers of the contaminated fuel. What we have, however, witnessed is an embarrassing exchange of words between, NNPC, who ordinarily should serve as the regulator, and the independent marketers.
“The only deduction one can make from the foregoing is that either NNPC lacks the political will to punish the offenders, or the corporation has been so compromised that it permits all manner of contaminated products into the country, at the detriment of law-abiding Nigerians
“We, therefore, call on the NNPC to immediately sanction every individual and entity who is remotely involved in the importation of contaminated fuel into Nigeria and also fine them in this regard.
“This will not only serve as a warning to future defaulters, but the fines recoverable from such penalty shall be channelled towards cleaning the contaminated fuel. In addition to the above, we urge that all entity involved in the importation of the contaminated fuel be banned from importing fuel into Nigeria for the next two years.”
The group therefore vowed to mobilise Nigerians across the states to take to the streets if the NNPC failed to follow or heed to its demands.
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