The lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Adams Oshiomole, has said that the removal of fuel subsidy by the administration of President Bola Tinubu has put a stop to a regime of becoming an “overnight” billionaires in the oil and gas sector.
Oshiomole stated this while commissioning a filling station outlet, owned by Itsekiri advocate and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress Chief Ayirimi Emami, in Warri on Friday, January 12, 2024.
According to the former Edo State Governor, while commissioning the new facility, it symbolized a “show of support for President Bola Tinubu’s implemented policy, effectively putting an end to a system where having a connection in the oil sector could suddenly transform someone into a billionaire, through favour, connections, and occasionally political bias.”
Oshiomhole said: “Now with the withdrawal of subsidy, you either work, sell and prosper or you don’t and you perish. This is the level playing field President Tinubu has created by the policy.”
Also present at the event, was the representative of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Vincent Oyibode and a House of Representatives member, Hon. Thomas Ereyitomi.
However, Oshiomole, and the representative of the Delta governor, commended Emami for the investment, especially at a time when the petrol subsidy had been removed, adding that it would create jobs for people in the area.
Led by Chief Emami, the duo had earlier toured a tank farm facility of the firm located in the Ifie community, Warri South Local Government Area of the State.
During the tour of the facility, Senator Oshiomole noted that “a lot of courage and foresight” went into the establishment in such a swampy area.
The former Labour leader however encouraged young Nigerians to rather than lamenting about not being given chances to thrive in the country’s economy, face the challenges by “turning obstacles into opportunities” as there are no longer huge industries to employ thousands of persons.
He said, “Nigerians have never sat down to ask themselves how come the Lebanese, the Indians are coming in droves to find jobs here. Nigerians are not seeing the opportunities in Nigeria. Let’s not cry; go for opportunities.
“You know the business fluctuates and the market is open, so for us to be in business we would sell at the daily rates. We are going to give the actual price. At A&E, we don’t manipulate our pumps, it’s what you pay for that you get”.
Further appreciating the idea of petroleum removal, he said it makes the business “competitive,” but appealed to President Tinubu to tackle the “bottlenecks” in the policy.
Acknowledging the frustration of Warri business owners and their “suffering” due to impediments at the port, Oshiomhole said President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori are aware of it, and the APC chieftain reechoed calls for the dredging of the Escravos bar to allow bigger ships passage into Warri port, adding that it would reduce the cost of the product in the state to what is obtainable in Rivers and Lagos states.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Warri South, Dr. Michael Tidi, said the establishment of the retail outlet portrays the government of Gov. Oborevwori as ensuring “businesses thrive” across the state.