The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has explained why it opposes the Federal Government’s plan to sell its entire stake in the country’s government-owned refineries.

Speaking on Sunday Politics, President of PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo, said selling a 100 per cent stake would mean the government losing total control of the refineries, a situation he warned would be detrimental to Nigeria’s energy security.

Osifo, however, said the union is advocating the sale of about 51 per cent of the government’s stake while retaining 49 per cent, which he described as being more beneficial to Nigerians.

“PENGASSAN, even before the time of Comrade Peter Esele, had been advocating that government should sell its shares. The reason why we don’t want government to sell it 100 per cent to private investors is because of the issue bordering on energy security,” he said.

“So, what we have advocated is what I have said earlier. If government sells 51 per cent stake in the refinery, what is going to happen? They will lose control, so that is actually selling. But for the benefit of Nigerians, retain 49 per cent of it.”

The PENGASSAN leader maintained that if the government had heeded the union’s advice in the past, the oil industry would be in a better state than it is today.

Addressing concerns in some quarters over whether investors would be willing to buy stakes in government-owned refineries, Osifo dismissed the doubts, insisting that there are investors who would be interested.

“Yes, there are investors who surely will be willing to buy a stake in the refinery because our population in Nigeria is quite huge, and those refineries, when well maintained without political pressures and political interference, will work,” he said.

Osifo, however, warned that even if the government decides to sell a 51 per cent stake, it must ensure that a complete valuation is carried out to avoid selling the refineries cheaply. (Channels TV)

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