Leadership (Abuja)
Blessing Uduehi
14 November 2009
Abuja — The past president of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE), Engr. Alex Ogedegbe, has expressed worry over government's plan to deregulate the downstream sector of the economy.
Revealing this yesterday in Abuja at the 2009 pre-annual conference, Engr. Ogedegbe said deregulation could solve the problems on ground unless the issue of demand and supply of oil is addressed.
"I am not saying government should not deregulate but the problem is how to do it," he stated.
According to him, deregulation is something that affects everyone in the society, stating that Nigeria and Nigerians have seen many years of scarcity.
He stated that the deregulation process will take time but if properly handled, prices will go down and people will not feel the effect much.
Ogdegbe said that the issue of deregulation could be solved overnight, noting that government should look for a way to make the nation's refineries work.
"In the past, Nigeria was able to produce and refine enough oil for the nation, but we can do it again just like in the past," he disclosed.
Calling for a mediation between the government and the people so as to avoid crisis, he posited that if the nation's refineries are handled by professionals, within the next 12 months, everything would be okay.
In his remarks, the national president of the NSCHE, Prof. Francis Olatunji, stated that the body of chemical engineers will look at areas to contribute to solving the nation's socio-economic and technological problems since the world have been experiencing an unusual meltdown in the global economy in the last one year.
"We owe it a national duty to identify with the 7-point Agenda of the present administration aimed at moving the country forward in social, economic, industrial and other perspectives," he added.
Revealing the theme of this year's conference titled, "The Global Economy: The Role of Chemical Engineering in Nigeria", the national president disclosed that chemical engineers have an important role to play in the social and economic development of the nation.
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