FORMER Petroleum Minister and Professor of Virology, Prof.
Tam David West has said there was never a time that the President-elect,
General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) said he would reduce the pump fuel price to N40
per litre as reported some days ago and that it was possible for the price of
fuel to sell for N35 per litre.
The don who spoke with Vanguard in his residence in Ibadan
explained that the N40 per litre was his own preferred pump fuel price and
should not have been attributed to Gen. Buhari.
He said, “I wish to correct a wrong impression carried in
the Vanguard of April 14 page 25 about me which was titled, “Buhari’ll reduce
petrol to N40-David West”. I did not make such categorical statement and I’m
sure that Gen. Buhari will agree with me that I could not have made such
categorical statement”.
According to him, Gen. Buhari and I have said it times
without number that the phenomenon called subsidy is fraudulent. N40 per litre
is my own figure which I have repeatedly used in all my write-ups and
interviews on petroleum subsidy.
However, while alluding to a comment made by a Texas
professor who said petrol should sell for N35 per litre, he said it was
possible for the price of fuel to be reduced drastically if all our four
refineries were serviced to produce at maximum capacity adding that for now the
refineries were performing at minimum capacity.
One of the antidotes he said could make life more
comfortable for Nigerians was the complete removal of middlemen who import fuel
noting that fuel importation must stop.
“Nigeria can go directly to refinery owners.
We have done it before during Buhari’s time”. When asked if
he could serve in the petroleum sector if invited or recommend anyone who could
be of service to Nigerians, the erudite professor said it was God who directs
him and leads him on what to do next.
In 1990, I wrote on sabotage theory of Nigeria’s refineries
and was published by Vanguard. Our refineries can work, but some people
sabotage the refineries. It is not because we don’t have Nigerians who can
repair it and turn things around. If that fails, the people who built
refineries can repair it. If people in government do it, there will be no more
importation of fuel”.
“I respect Gen. Buhari because he has much integrity and I
believe that he would be a good leader. It is true that expectations of
Nigerians are very high. No new leader can perform miracles. People should give
him time and conducive atmosphere to perform.
I don’t believe in 100 days in office, it is nonsense. If
you are packing from one house to a new one, will 100 days be enough to settle
down. How do you expect a sudden turn around within 100 days when so much
damage has been done for years. But,
It will not take too long before Nigeria would experience
that change they crave for. Between the first six months and one year, people
would feel that positive change”, he said.
On the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan at the polls,
he said he felt so happy that he lost adding “I have never supported him and I
will not support him because I am an Ijaw man. His policies are very bad”, he
maintained.
..Culled from Vanguard
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