Dangote refinery: CSOs to monitor sales compliance by NNPCL
…To set up Situation room in Abuja
Omeiza Bilal
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) at the weekend said it would set up a situation room to monitor the compliance of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to the presidential directive to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery in Naira currency.
Leaders of the 28 CSOs who were on facility tour of the 650,000 bpd world’s largest single train refinery in Lagos said the disposition of the NNPCL and the regulatory agencies was a clear indication the they deliberately held down the nation’s refineries so that they could continue importing petroleum products.
President Bola Tinubu had in the web of controversies that trailed the face-off between Dangote Refinery and the NNPCL intervened and directed the Corporation to henceforth sell crude to Dangote Refinery in Naira
Speaking on behalf of others, Solomon Adodo of the Rise Up for A United Nigeria said what his group had seen was a world class facility and wondered how a regulatory agency of the government could take sides with importers of petroleum products when a local refinery is now available to bail the nation out of the forex quagmire which has made the price petroleum products to skyrocket.
Said he: having gone round to see this world class project, we are at a loss as to why the government could decide to turn against Nigerians in this manner. But we are not too surprised give our past experiences. Those who are profiting from our collective misfortune will not want the Dangote refinery to work.
“We are ready to defend this facility with everything as civil society organizations. We are not speaking on our behalf but on behalf of all Nigerians and on behalf of our fatherland. It leaves much to be desired how an agency of government with oversight function to guide to grow such a project as this would now be disparaging same project. This is too bad.
Adodo said that the CSOs would mount serious advocacy to make government accede to demands of Nigerians which is not just granting the sale of crude to Dangote Refinery in Naira but also ensuring Dangote fuel are available at petrol stations for Nigerians to buy.
The group appealed to the management of Dangote Refinery not to be discouraged but to trudge on as the group would mount serious campaign in favour of the refinery. “Even if it means we should protest, we will. We cant allow this international embarrassment to stand.”
Speaking while welcoming the group, Vice-President, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, described Dangote Refiney as a value adding facility as it will stop the exportation of Nigeria’s crude and importation of finished products and wonder why government would be against such a vision for Nigeria.
According to him, many African countries have minerals but they are not adding value to their economies because, those minerals are exported raw and the finished products are imported back into the country whereas vice versa should have been the order of the day.
The Dangote Vice-President said the Company would continue to focus on its business strategy which is to add value to Nigeria economy through investments and job creation for the teeming Nigerian masses. According to him, Nigeria can only consume 45% of the capacity of the refinery while the remaining 55% will be exported and bring into the country foreign exchange needed badly.
