Falana also threatened to sue those responsible for the fixing of state-owned refineries if they announce another postponement
By Kehinde Okeowo
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has expressed dissatisfaction with how the importation and distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol is being handled in the country.
He made his feelings known while featuring on a Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, where he called for a swift investigation of what he described as “importation scam”
His call follows reports that a $6 billion debt the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) owes petrol marketers has worsened petrol scarcity in Nigeria.
Speaking on the development, Falana said there is no better time to probe importation of the product than now.
“It is high time the importation scam was investigated. I am not talking of the joke that is going on in the National Assembly. The media must help civil society organisations to expose the fraud,” he said.
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Prior to this, NNPCL had on Sunday disclosed that its indebtedness to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply.
Addressing the statement during the interview, Falana said, “Once the government begins to speak about affordability and sustainability in response to growing queues at filling stations, there are problems.”
He further noted that there is no full disclosure on the part of the government on subsidy on petrol, adding that Nigeria can’t spend “$2.9bn to fix the refineries” yet the dates for the resumption of production at the refineries have been constantly shifted.
The legal luminary threatened to sue those responsible for the fixing of state-owned refineries should they announce another postponement.