The Federal Government has warned that current prices of petroleum products would spiral out of control except urgent steps were taken to liberate the supply and distribution of petroleum products, diversion would most likely get worse.This was disclosed in a statement by the Assistant Director (Media Relations) in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mohammed Manga, obtained by WuzupNaija, on Tuesday evening in Abuja.
It was gathered that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Jamila Shuara, represented by the Director of Human Resources, Mr. Baba Mairiga, made the observation during a seminar organised by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigerian (OHOCSF chapter).
The theme of the seminar was “The removal of fuel subsidy: The gains and pains.”
The government warned that current prices of petroleum products would spiral out of control “in the absence of available forex lines or crude volumes to continue massive importation of petroleum products.
She said, “In the absence of available forex lines or crude volumes to continue massive importation of petroleum products, it is clear that unless immediate action is taken to liberate the petroleum supply and distribution, the queues will persist, diversion will worsen and the current prices will spiral out of control.”
Shuara listed the benefits of the new framework to include stabilising the economic fundamentals and allowing for access to development loans; creating labour stability as well as providing government with more revenue to address social and infrastructural needs of the country.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, represented by the Permanent Secretary (Common Services Office) in OHOCSF, Mr. Yemi Adelakun, advised federal public servants in the country to explore ways of adding value to their income in order to meet up with the present economic challenges facing the country.
The President of ASCSN (OHOCSF chapter), Mr. Bolaji Sunday Olaiya, appealed to the Federal Government to ensure speedy implementation of the palliative programmes as a result of the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products to help cushion the economic hardship been experienced by Nigerians and the civil servants in particular.
