The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has told the Federal Government to stop destroying illegal refineries in the Niger Delta creeks.
The Chairman of IPMAN’s Enugu Depot Community, Chinedu Anyaso, said the infrastructure of the illegal refiners could serve the government more by increasing the refining capacity of the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Anyaso who made the suggestion on Tuesday, said while the government’s immediate plan is to get Nigeria’s local refineries working, the operators of the illegal refineries in the creeks should be brought into the national grid.
He urged the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, to table his suggestion to the government, as the illegal refineries will reduce the pressure on foreign exchange.
Anyaso said: “I expect that part of the Federal Government’s immediate plan is to get our local refineries working through the fixing of the four existing refineries and encouraging the establishment of modular refineries.
“The new Minister of State for Petroleum who is from the Niger Delta should encourage the government to bring operators of the illegal refineries in the creeks to the national grid.
“Instead of chasing them and destroying their infrastructure, the government should call them to be part of the solution, at least in the short term while we wait for the main refineries to resume operations. This will reduce the pressure on foreign exchange.”