By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The National Orientation Agency, NOA, Director General, Garba Abari has said that hardship caused by the astronomical fuel price hike is due to the harsh reality of the deregulation of the petroleum products.
In the last three days, Nigerians have being contending with an increase in the pump price of fuel from N550 to N617 pump price.
The National Orientation Agency NOA, Director General, Garba Abari during an engagement with 37 Directorate of NOA and management non fuel subsidiary removal at the NOA office in Abuja explained that the agency had engaged in sensitizing. Nigerians across the country on the Petroleum Industry Act to prepare the public on the shock to expect with the full-blown deregulation in the Petroleum sector.
Abari said, “We did the sensitization on the petroleum industry act anticipating the shock that might ensue when full-blown deregulation of the sector sets in, as we are presently experiencing.”
The Director of the National Orientation Agency, directed the state directors to redouble efforts at sensitization on the subsidy removal.
“We need to sustain the sensitization on subsidy removal as well as the advocacy to get public buy-in. The recent price hike in the price per liter of petrol is being seen by the public as another increase in the price of petrol by the public.”
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This is a wrong impression and the public needs to be re-oriented on this perspective. ”
“What is actually happening is the new reality in the petroleum industry ecosystem under deregulation. Prices will go up and prices will come down, depending on market forces. This is the reality under deregulation and the people have to be aware. ”
According to him, the sensitization process must be sustained to forestall backlash from the public owing to lack of awareness.
He noted that the relevant authorities will be engaged to ensure that they effectively meet the agency’s mandate of public orientation and sensitization on the new petrol ecosystem of subsidy removal, and its possible impact on public confidence in government.
The NOA DG said, ‘ Upon the heels of the announcement of the removal of subsidy on petrol, we immediately activated our state structures to carry advocacy to Religious Leaders, Traditional Rulers, women and youth groups, markets, motor parks, media houses and opinion molders in various communities across the country.”
