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A Civil Society Organisations (CSO), the Natives, has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for seizing the initiative to put a stop to the scarcity of petroleum products at retail outlets across the country.
The group in a statement at the weekend noted that the move has suddenly changed the narrative of fuel queues.
Checks revealed that the DSS at a meeting with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL), the leadership of the Major Marketers, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN) and the Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG, gave a 24 hours ultimatum on Thursday that fuel scarcity must end at retail outlets.
Reviewing the situation at the retail outlets at the weekend, the president general of the Natives, Smart Edwards, commended the DSS for coming to the rescue of ordinary Nigerians as he noted that the ultimatum has worked.
He said: “The Natives commend the Department of state services for their prompt decision to intervene in the organised sabotage of the well-being and peace of Nigerians as the yuletide season approaches.
“We commend the Director-General of the state department and his team for being proactive and responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians. Indeed, there seems to be a ray of hope, when the intelligence community rises to defend its citizens.
“We are glad to hear and see the DSS as not only restraining or curtailing threats but rising up to enforce sanity and order.
“It has now become the new normal that as every festive season approaches the gang in the oil industry and national saboteurs, embark on their evil ride to create artificial scarcity and ensure hardship on citizens to satisfy their profiteering.
“How can we explain that the GMD, NNPCL Mele Kyari, in his recent determination to sustain gains from the relative peace and discoveries in the Niger Delta, has not only been seen moving from location to location to ascertain fuel availability all over the country and he even announced that there is enough fuel in the depots to meet the consumption of citizens over this period, then suddenly scarcity everywhere to the extent that half of the roads are now blocked creating the emergence of long queues again in the country. This for us is absolutely a case of sabotage and requires thorough investigations.
“Last month the ex-Militant, Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo’s made a grand exposure of the conspiracy in and around Nigeria’s crude oil by International Oil Companies, (IOCs) powerful forces and locals, the revelation also exposed collaboration by security agencies.
“In the same vein, the Mele Kyari, once said his life was under threat, this no doubt reveals that there are hidden powerful cartel behind this plundering of the nation’s wealth who are economically profiting from national sabotage.”
While calling on Nigerians to rally around the security service and the new NNPCL to end what it described as national sabotage, Edward also condemned a statement credited to Chief Femi Falana against the move by the DSS.
“We, therefore, condemn in strong terms Femi Falana’s statement that seems to discredit the patriotic moves by the DSS.
“It thus behoves Nigerians to stand squarely and shoulder to shoulder with its security forces to bust the ring of conspirators and criminals, who are privileged to be in the oil sector, indeed their profit should not be at the detriment of its citizens.
“We are yet to unravel and solve the burden that subsidy places on us as a Nation, where it consumes up to one-third of our national budget because of the activities of players and despicable cabals in the oil sector.
“This is a citizens’ problem, we must rise to the occasion and support the leadership of the new NNPCL, the DSS and every necessary patriotic effort to reposition, reactivate and revive the oil industry for the benefit of Nigerians, such that it promotes our welfare, well-being, jobs for the youths and a prosperous country.
“Finally, we salute the courage of the State Department and the new face being created by the NNPCL management, as they embark on the route of business unusual, doing everything possible to recover and uproot the cankerworm that has halted the sector over the years since it has become a new business enterprise.
“We urge them to find more collaboration with the security, civil society organisations and citizens to rid the oil sector of this unparalleled frustration of our national patrimony.
“We encourage the DSS to go further and carry out national operations, as the ultimatum has not only signalled readiness but also the capacity to halt the madness of artificial scarcity.”
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