Fuel crisis: EX-minister, Oby Ezekwesili, offers way out

A former minister of education, Oby Ezekwesili, has reacted to the current fuel scarcity and suggested a way to avoid it in future.

Ezekwesili, in a series of tweets on her verified Twitter handle, said total deregulation of the oil sector was the way to ensure a permanent solution to the crisis.

“Dear President, @MBuhari of @AsoRock It is not Rocket Science to FIX the Distortion in the Oil Sector. It is the underlying cause of the annual #FuelScarcity.

“It’s time to let go of the “politically beloved petroleum sector”. Sir, the solution is full deregulation. Just. Do. It!” she said.

Opponents of full deregulation have argued that it would lead to price increase as government would no longer be able to fix the selling price of the product. In a full deregulated situation, marketers, governments and businesses could bring in petrol at their own cost and sell at any price they deem fit.

While urging the president to ensure good governance, the Bring-Back-Our-Girls leader said that ensuring full deregulation would bring about productive incentive to the nation’s oil and gas sector.

She added that “no matter the depth of complexity of any problem in a country, there are options of solutions that can be mobilised to resolve them. Problems persist these days not for want of ideas to
solve them, but only because someone is failing to make a tough call on the right solution.”