Home FEATURES Islamic Scholar Laments Nigeria’s Abandonment Of Refineries, Steel Projects

Islamic Scholar Laments Nigeria’s Abandonment Of Refineries, Steel Projects

REFINERY-PORTHARCOTAn Nigerian Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Musa Onogu is not happy with the way the federal government has abandoned the nation’s refineries and revitalisation of Steel projects.
Sheikh Musa Onogu who spoke to news men in Abuja today, Tuesday, regretted that Nigeria is still importing fuel when there are refineries that government could work hard to revive.
He is sure that if the government is determined to revive the refineries, industries and, especially, Ajaokuta Steel Company, it has the wherewithal to do so.
He recalled that before the coming of Muhammadu Buhari as President, work had almost started on Evbiya refinery around Kogi State and other two refineries in the country, but wondered why the projects were abandoned.
“In some countries which do not have oil, there are mini refineries that are functioning, serving the particular communities in which they operate.
“If Dangote Group can set up refinery, I don’t see reason why government cannot revive the existing ones so that we would be saved from the annual fuel scarcity embarrassment.”
According to Sheikh Musa Onogu, Japan has no oil but has refinery in the sea, adding that Japan never goes through the harrowing experience of scarcity of the product as Nigeria has always goes through.
“It is an irony that Nigeria, one of the top ten oil producing nations, always goes through acute scarcity because of the fact that it relies heavily on importation of the commodity.”
The scholar said that apart from the nation’s refineries that are begging for rehabilitation, Nigeria is also blessed with experts that can easily turn-around such refineries and other sectors of the economy for the benefit of the citizenry.[myad]