Groups Hail Dangote Refinery’s Impact, Warn Against Sabotage

Civil nine organisations — the Employment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) and the Guardians of Democracy and Development Initiative (GoDDI) — person applauded the Dangote Refinery for its transformative relation successful Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

The groups besides issued a stern informing to manufacture players allegedly plotting to undermine the refinery’s operations.

In a associated connection issued to journalists yesterday successful Abuja, and signed by Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince (EUYI) and Comrade Igwe Ude-umanta (GoDDI), the refinery was described arsenic a “bold, daring, and patriotic” concern that has disrupted the long-standing dominance of substance importers and repositioned Nigeria arsenic a shaper — alternatively than simply a user — of refined petroleum products.

“The full downstream lipid assemblage equation changed for bully and successful the nation’s interest,” the connection read. “This improvement has freed Nigeria from the grip of lipid import cartels and marked the country’s introduction into the league of refined merchandise exporters — a large measurement guardant from our embarrassing reliance connected imports.”

The groups accused the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), on with allied organisations specified arsenic the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), of orchestrating efforts to sabotage the refinery.

According to the groups, these actors are trying to support their interests successful the now-obsolete substance importation business, which they assertion flourished nether the scrapped subsidy regime.

“These are radical who became billionaires overnight without adding immoderate worth — profiteering astatine the disbursal of mean Nigerians. Now that the crippled has changed, they are crying foul.”

Addressing claims that the Dangote Refinery risks becoming a monopoly, the civilian nine organisations argued that immoderate monopoly that benefits the public, reduces prices, creates jobs, and improves the system should beryllium seen arsenic a ‘progressive monopoly.’

They pointed to the tangible interaction already felt by consumers since the subsidy removal successful May 2023. Prices of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which had surged to ₦1,700 and ₦1,020 respectively, person present dropped to ₦1,030 (AGO) and ₦855 (PMS), mostly owed to the refinery’s intervention.

“This terms alleviation is simply a nonstop effect of Dangote Refinery’s effort to proviso locally and little costs for Nigerians,” the connection noted.

The groups besides criticized DAPPMAN’s erstwhile claims that they could vie with Dangote done importation, asking wherefore they are present complaining astir falling prices.

“Nigerians invited each terms crash. We’ve endured capable from these cartels.”

They urged DAPPMAN and different stakeholders to wantonness hostile tactics and alternatively prosecute successful productive dialog oregon make their ain refining capacities.

“DAPPMAN and others should see gathering their ain refineries oregon proceed importing if they privation — but they indispensable bash truthful done just and civilian engagement, not sabotage. Any effort to destabilise this advancement could provoke wide nationalist backlash.”

The groups reaffirmed their enactment for the Dangote Group and its refinery project: “We impulse the absorption of Dangote Refineries to stay focused, patriotic, and undeterred. The Nigerian radical are solidly down you.”