Available
evidence has indicated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,
was advised to stay action on the implementation of the removal of subsidy on
kerosene to avert labour and masses unrest.
WAITING:
Queue for kerosene at a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mega
Filling Station in Yelwa, Bauchi State, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.
Recall
that in the wake of the scandal on NNPC remittances to the Federation accounts,
the former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,
had declared kerosene subsidy as illegal.
But
the stay of action Vanguard gathered was approved by an Inter-ministerial
Committee set up by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, on the deregulation of
the downstream.
According
to the Committee, “This unanimous decision was a strategic move to win the
hearts and minds of the public over the eventual goal of deregulating the
downstream sector as a whole.”
In
a series of memos among the ministries of Petroleum, Finance, and NNPC over a
period of five years exclusively obtained by Sweetcrude, this fact was
reiterated over and over again.
In
one of the memos dated February 15, 2010, the then Group Managing Director,
NNPC, Mr. Mohammed Barkindo, reminded the then Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur
Muhtar of this decision, when the Corporation was having problems with getting
payment for claims for kerosene subsidy.
In
the memo entitled: “Re: Endorsement of Action Plan on the Deregulation of the
Downstream Petroleum Sub-sector – Subsidy for Kerosene,” Barkindo reminded
Muhtar of the directive to NNPC “to delay implementation of the decision to
remove subsidy on kerosene.”
The
stay of action remained even as the NNPC, in subsequent correspondences
constantly sought clarification on the implementation of the removal of
kerosene subsidy “to avoid misunderstandings”.
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Sources The Vanguard
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