Pro-Buhari group says it suspects Atiku’s call for establishment of crude oil reservoir in Nigeria

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has attacked Atiku Abubakar for calling for the establishment of crude oil reservoir in Nigeria.

Atiku, a former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last elections, had recently said oil storage depots should be established in Nigeria as done in some developing countries.

But the BMO, in a statement on Thursday, said the advice by Atiku should be rejected.

It said the call was “suspicious, ill-motivated, and untenable,” adding that Atiku “has a background of always putting his pocket and those of his friends first, to the detriment of the well-being of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

The BMO statement was signed by its chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and secretary, Cassidy Madueke.

“Atiku’s antecedents and his open declaration that he would sell 90 per cent of government’s holding in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to his friends with the sole purpose of enriching them, make it expedient that this call be properly scrutinised.

“As an unrepentant person willing to sell the family heirloom to his friends, his advocacy for the establishment of government-owned strategic crude oil storage facilities funded by the government can not be sincere.

“It is misplaced and a mere playing to the gallery because in the countries he cited as a model to learn from, the storage facilities do not belong to the governments of those countries.

“The crude oil storage facilities that hold crude reserves are owned by private sector investors. Instead of trying to con the government to invest in the establishment of crude storage farms, Atiku Abubakar should be sincere and helpful to the friends he planned to sell the NNPC, to invest their own money in developing crude oil storage tanks.

“However Atiku would rather canvass for a non-priority investment by the federal government, ostensibly for him and his friends to later buy off the tank farms as scrap.

READ ALSO: FANI-KAYODE TO ECOWAS: You’ll regret appointing Buhari to lead fight against Covid-19

“BMO wants to educate Mr. Atiku Abubakar of the fact that ownership of crude reserve storage facilities is more than 90 percent private-sector driven and he should encourage his friends to take the risk of investing in the sector to make money for themselves, instead of asking the government to invest in crude oil storage.

“Mr. Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President, knows that the current oil glut will certainly ease off, but chose to mischievously canvass for crude oil storage facilities, just to appear to be playing opposition icon”, the statement read.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now