BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
THE National Orientation Agency has solicited citizens’ support for the Federal Government’s oil sector deregulation policy for healthy competitions where prices will reflect market realities.
Speaking during a sensitisation workshop in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, the State Director, Emmanuel Abba, said deregulation would encourage foreign investors, create jobs along the value chain and increase infrastructural development.
The Director, represented during the workshop by an Assistant Director in the agency, Theophilus Nwokpor, noted that deregulation would discourage smuggling of Nigeria’s already subsidised PMS to other countries and encourage the use of trillions previously spent on subsidy to build critical national infrastructure across key sectors, such as health and education.
Abba assured that the policy would also encourage marketers to resume the importation of Premium Motor Spirit and lead to competition which would reduce prices in the long run.
According to him, investment in modular refineries will be encouraged, which will make the product more available to all citizens at all times.
He also called for multi-sectoral approaches and involvement of all stakeholders in the fight to end all vices ravaging the society for a better tomorrow.
On her part, another resource person, Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ebonyi State chapter, Grace Chima, kicked against abuse of substances by youths.
She warned against the abuse of even regular, legal drugs like paracetamol and called on parents to be more alive to their parental responsibilities to their children irrespective of age and sex.
The chairperson, represented at the workshop by the organisation’s Secretary, Chinelo Okeke, called for the promulgation of acts to stipulate death penalty for kidnappers in Nigeria and Ebonyi State in particular.
The FIDA boss also advocated for reforms to support/compel police and the judiciary to quicken dispensation of justice in order to stop the abandonment of people awaiting trial for more than the necessary period of years.
