NANS backs petroleum sector reforms

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday backed Federal Government’s effort to reform the petroleum sector, and urged the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
The leadership and members of the student body who held a peaceful rally in Abuja also supported the on-going forensic audit of the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The group noted that the audit of the petroleum sector must be just and objective given the critical role petroleum plays in the nation’s economic and social wellbeing.
Armed with placards some of which read: “NANS Support Petroleum Sector Reform”; “Oil
Sector Reform in Line”; “We must be fair to the Petroleum Minister,” the students marched from Eagles Square to the National Assembly where a position paper was handed over for onward transmission to the legislators.

The march also took them to the gate of the Presidential Villa and the main gate of the NNPC headquarters.
Speaking at the rally, NANS’ National Senate President, Maxwell Soye said the association was worried by the uncertainty created in the polity with the allegedly missing proceeds from crude oil production and its possible impact on the Nigerian economy.
Soye alleged that various political cynics of the government had latched on the development to create hostilities within the country.
While welcoming the forensic audit, he said the group was in support of recent changes at the NNPC by Mrs. Alison-Madueke in which five Group Executive Directors (GEDs) were sacked.