A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Paul Obi, has emphasised the need to revitalise Nigeria’s public refineries to mitigate the country’s current economic hardship.
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Obi, an oil and gas legal practitioner, stated that the Federal Government should have activated at least one or two public refineries before implementing the oil deregulation policy, which he believes would have lessened the adverse economic impact currently being felt by Nigerians.
The lawyer shared his views during an interview with newsmen following his conferment with the SAN title, alongside 86 others, at a ceremony in Abuja.
“It is good to deregulate because that would free funds for the government and promote healthy competition in the industry,” Obi explained. “But essential infrastructure, like the Port Harcourt refinery, should have been functional before such changes were embarked on.”
He noted that while the establishment of the Dangote Refinery in the private sector was a positive development, having public refineries operational would have provided additional support to stabilise the sector.
“With one or two public refineries working alongside Dangote’s, Nigerians wouldn’t be experiencing the level of economic hardship we see today. These refineries should have been operational before the deregulation took effect,” Obi emphasised.
He commended the government’s efforts to support the Dangote Refinery by supplying crude in naira, a move aimed at reducing pressure on the foreign exchange market.
However, Obi reiterated that a functioning public sector presence in the refining industry would have significantly eased economic challenges, reduced fuel prices, and boosted competition.
Speaking on reforms in the judiciary, Obi expressed optimism about the new Supreme Court rules, which he believes will help expedite justice delivery in Nigeria.
He highlighted the significance of having a full complement of 21 Justices on the apex court’s bench for the first time in many years, which he said would reduce case backlog.
“Two of my appeals were stuck at the Supreme Court for 10 years, from 2013 to 2023. That shouldn’t happen again now that we have a full bench. The new rules will ensure that justice is delivered swiftly, which is a reform I fully support,” he stated.
Obi, who has practiced law for 34 years, shared his experience of attaining the SAN rank on his first attempt.
He advised aspiring lawyers to meticulously follow the application guidelines to avoid the challenges of reapplying multiple times.
“I applied once and got it because I made sure I was technically qualified and had all my cases in order. I didn’t want to go through the process a second time because many lawyers have attempted up to seven times without success,” he said.
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