Nigerian Senator and former Senate leader Ali Ndume has warned the Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, the Depot Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria and other stakeholders in the country’s downstream oil sector to stop demonising Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Refinery.
Ndume made this statement on Wednesday amid the cold war between Dangote Refinery, NUPENG, DAPPMAN and other stakeholders.
The Nigerian senator described the NUPENG, DAPPMAN and Dangote face-off as “a poisonous media narrative to paint Dangote in a bad light in the eyes of Nigerians and the international community.”
He said, “Before Dangote took the risk to build his refinery, previous administrations had granted licences to many Nigerians. What did they do with it? Some of them only cashed in on the incentives of crude oil allocation.
“If my memory serves me right, licences were granted to 12 private operators as far back as 2002 to build refineries and reduce dependence on imported fuel.
“The second round of licences was done in 2007 by the then Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, after revoking the first batch and granted nine new licences to private investors.
“Those parading themselves as fuel importers today didn’t seize the initiative to come together to build refineries.
“Again, during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, licences were granted to private investors to build modular refineries.
“How many of them actually scratched the surface, but they are ganging up to falsely accuse Dangote of monopolising the market?”
“It is wrong to talk about monopoly in a deregulated industry. There are no deliberate bottlenecks against anyone, and no player has been accorded special concession to the detriment of others.
“I urge NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and all concerned stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with Dangote rather than inciting division and undue sensationalism in the media. Our common goal should be to balance labour rights with the imperatives of national development and not put ordinary citizens at the receiving end of a needless power tussle”, he added.
Recall that NUPENG recently embarked on an industrial strike against Dangote Refinery’s anti-labour activities before it was suspended following the intervention of the Federal Government and the Department of State Security.
DAPPMAN also accused the Dangote Refinery of a plot to stifle competition.
Stop demonising Dangote, use your licences – Nigerian Senator warns NUPENG, DAPPMAN
