As Nigeria marks its 66th year of independence, lawyer Mr Bumtye Damshakal has called on the government to focus on improving people’s lives by repairing the country’s oil refineries and reducing the need to buy petroleum from other countries.

Damshakal made this statement during a conversation with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

He pointed out that Nigeria has plenty of natural resources but has not done enough to use them to help its people live better.

He explained that Nigeria’s large amounts of crude oil have not brought the wealth that was expected. Instead, the country keeps selling crude oil and buying back refined petroleum products from abroad.

“We have crude oil, gold and many other resources, but we take them out and have them refined in other countries, then bring them back as finished goods.

“This is the worst position Nigeria can be in. We have three refineries that are not working,” he said.

The lawyer said this problem shows that past governments have not focused on what matters most for regular people. He said leaders have cared more about their own interests than about helping citizens.

He also worried about the naira losing value and how this makes it harder for Nigerians to buy things.

“You go to the market with N100,000 and you cannot buy much. It is sad,” Damshakal said.

He recognized that democracy has given Nigerians freedoms that did not exist during military rule.

But he said that having political freedom is hard to enjoy when people cannot afford basic needs.

The lawyer urged the present administration to sustain its economic reforms but ensured that the policies delivered tangible benefits to ordinary Nigerians.

Damshakal recognized that the government has shown effort to fix the country’s economic problems, but he said it is very important to deal with the big oil companies that control the petroleum industry.
“I believe the current administration truly wants to find answers, but it must break free from the control of oil corporations,” he said.

He said that the 66th Independence anniversary is an important time for Nigerians to think carefully about where the country is going, recognize what it has achieved, and face the problems that could stop it from moving forward.

(NAN)