PLANS by the Federal Government to build three new refineries in the country are part of the measures to buoy fuel supply and mitigate the effects of subsidy removal, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Baraje, has stated.The refineries, according to the government, would be sited in an unnamed location in Kogi State, Oloibiri, Rivers State and an unnamed state in the North-East.Baraje, who spoke yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, added that the new refineries would also complement government's efforts at fixing the existing ones in the country and make petroleum products readily available to Nigerians nationwide.The PDP chieftain disclosed that contractors have been mobilised to pick suitable sites for the refineries and that the facilities would be built through a public/private arrangement.Baraje also disclosed that full railways operations would take off next April across nine Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Enugu.In yet another official confirmation of the policy take-off, Baraje said fuel subsidy removal would take effect as from next year, even as he disclosed that the government would pursue a public/private transportation initiative, direct release of monthly allocations to local councils and the deployment of the recently trained Nigerian anti-terrorism squad.The PDP leader said the party had endorsed the removal of subsidy as proposed by the Federal Government following 'wide consultations with experts who gave us pragmatic examples of the overall benefits inherent in the removal'.Baraje, who also condemned the on-going strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), hinted that the government had directed that relevant authorities meet most of ASUU's demands, saying that the nation's public universities would be re-opened early next year.His words: 'By April 2012, railway operations will begin fully in nine major cities. The idea is to reduce the cost of transportation in Nigeria. Besides, we need to fix our major depots and replace some damaged oil pipes.'We shall also establish three additional refineries to support the existing ones. These refineries would also be privatised, knowing fully well that attempts in the past to repair them had defied solutions.'By the year 2013, about 29 major Nigerian roads would have either been renovated or newly constructed. The same thing will happen in the area of power generation and distribution. Definitely, the private organisations are coming on board. We are sure that by the middle of 2012, the effects of all these measures would lead to visible improvement in electricity supply in Nigeria'.Baraje submitted that the various security plans put in place by the PDP-controlled government, 'with full support of all Nigerians, especially members of the opposition parties', would make the country better secure.He added: 'The security thing is a challenge to all. We need to educate ourselves that the issue of security is not only for the ruling party but also for all, including the opposition. We need to put an end to the spate of bombings in Nigeria. Christmas is a remarkable day not only for the Christians but also the Muslims.The perpetrators of the heinous crime of bombing worshipers in the church are not acting in the name of any religion. They are terrorists and will be treated as such.'We need to assist our security personnel to ensure that their efforts and that of the government do not go in vain'.
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