…Pastor Adeboye urges Nigerians to intercede against forces obstructing domestic fuel production.
…Highlights the struggles of private refinery projects against entrenched oil import interests.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has appealed for national prayers to counter the influence of powerful cabals allegedly working to undermine private refineries in Nigeria.
Speaking at the church’s annual Abuja Special Holy Ghost Service themed “Total Restoration,” Adeboye highlighted the actions of certain high-level players in the oil industry who view private refineries as a threat to the profitability of fuel importation.
Adeboye noted that while he did not explicitly reference any particular project, his words resonate with the recent challenges facing private refinery ventures. He lamented the billions of naira poured into fixing the country’s four government refineries, which remain largely dysfunctional, adding that Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel has drained the economy despite its abundant crude oil reserves.
“How can we be importing petrol when we have so much crude oil?” Adeboye asked, reflecting on the nation’s persistent energy woes.
Expressing his concerns for Nigeria’s economic stability, he spoke about how the naira’s decline and the resistance from those profiting off fuel importation are impacting the country’s financial health.
“When the President canceled the costly importation, some people were upset, those profiting from it,” he said, adding that the resistance to change has led to even greater economic strain.
Highlighting the plight of a private refinery owner who had to import crude from the U.S. due to local supply blockages, Adeboye suggested that the difficulties faced by private refineries are part of a broader struggle to disrupt Nigeria’s dependence on fuel importation.
He emphasized that his concerns were non-political, urging Nigerians to unite in prayer to overcome these obstacles, which he said continue to burden the economy and citizens’ daily lives.
