Niger Delta leaders are urging President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action against petrol barons who are allegedly undermining the country’s refineries, including the newly established Dangote Refinery. They accuse these individuals of sabotaging the refinery sector to maintain their grip on oil subsidy benefits.
Joseph Ambakaderimo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Communities’ Development Committee of the Niger Delta, stated, “The actions against the Dangote group are deliberate. The Dangote Refinery disrupted vested interests who did not see it coming.” He added, “Our refineries have remained comatose because some are feeding off the chaos. The government must identify and punish those involved in this sabotage.”
Donald Inwalomhe, Executive Director of the Justice Research Centre (JRC), noted that subsidy beneficiaries are hindering the Dangote Refinery’s access to crude oil. “The subsidy billionaires in Nigeria’s oil industry are working against Dangote. They let the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries collapse to keep profiting from imported petroleum products. They oppose modular refineries to ensure subsidy continues,” Inwalomhe said.
Inwalomhe highlighted the dire state of the South-South petroleum industry, where the Warri Refinery stands idle. He urged state governors and members of the National Assembly to support the Dangote Refinery and other modular refineries. “Two modular refineries in Edo State remain non-operational. If they produce alongside Dangote, it will reduce petroleum imports,” he said. He called for collaboration with President Tinubu to ensure the Dangote Refinery operates effectively.
Zik Gbemre, Coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), described the situation as a conspiracy to justify fuel price hikes. “Regulators approved the Dangote Refinery, yet now they find faults as it starts producing. This refinery was lauded as Africa’s best,” Gbemre remarked.
Former Ijaw Youth Congress President, Dr. Onyienfie Jonjon, attributed the conflict between Dangote and regulators to economic interests. He suggested a meeting between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote to resolve the crisis. “Dangote cannot operate without NNPCL, and vice versa. The oil cabal doesn’t want Dangote to succeed because it threatens their subsidy benefits,” Jonjon said. He called for concessions to ensure mutual benefits for investors and Nigerians.
Presley Idi, Secretary of the Ndokwa National Youth Movement (NNYM), criticized the public dispute between regulators and Dangote. “The outburst by the NMDPRA chief executive against Dangote was shocking and unnecessary. This has created negative global perceptions of Nigeria,” Idi stated. He believed the issues could have been resolved privately.
Human rights activist Saviour Akpan, Executive Director of COMPPART Foundation, labeled the conflict as a diversionary tactic. “They brought their face-off to the public to divert attention. Instead of pointing fingers, we should ask questions and demand accountability,” Akpan advised. He urged Nigerians to focus on solving systemic issues rather than being distracted by public disputes.
Former Bayelsa State commissioner Furoebi Akene asserted that the Nigerian petroleum industry is rife with fraud and sabotage. “The success of the Dangote Refinery threatens those who have profited from the failure of government refineries. If the Federal Government is sincere, they should probe the activities of the operators and regulatory agencies,” Akene said. He called for genuine regulations to enable the Dangote Refinery to operate efficiently.
Festus Oritsetimeyin, a stakeholder in Warri, Delta State, welcomed the exposure of hidden deals within the oil sector. “We are now aware of the sabotage against business initiatives beneficial to the nation. The public needs to know the truth about these hidden deals,” Oritsetimeyin stated.
Niger Delta stakeholders demand immediate action from President Tinubu to dismantle the oil subsidy mafia sabotaging refineries. They emphasize the importance of transparency, accountability, and collaboration to ensure the success of the Dangote Refinery and other refineries. Addressing these issues is crucial for Nigeria’s economic stability and development.
Source: Vanguard
