Niger State governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, while commissioning a N620 million 3-star hotel developed by the Niger State Development Company Limited, NSDC, and the State Sure-P asked the Federal Government to deregulate the oil sector by removing subsidy on petroleum products.He added that the removal of the subsidy would reduce the black market system, thus allowing free and regular flow of petroleum products to all parts of the country.
He argued that the subsidy on petroleum product is currently being enjoyed by only a select few who have the necessary connections to the importers.
He said:
He argued that the subsidy on petroleum product is currently being enjoyed by only a select few who have the necessary connections to the importers.
He said:
‘’Unless fuel subsidy is removed and we go back to the real market, we will continue to have the type of problem facing the country at the moment. Is it not an irony that we sell crude oil and end up buying refined petroleum from the international market?’’
In regards to power supply, the governor suggested the regionalism approach in the distribution of power instead of making all parts of the country to be on the same grid.
Aliyu said it was also sad to note that states that had the resources to construct power plants were being asked to plough the energy generated to the national grid and in return get less than the mega watts they have generated for their state.
