Ndume to NUPENG, DAPPMAN: Support Dangote instead of demonising him

By John Alechenu, Abuja

Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged players successful Nigeria’s downstream lipid assemblage to enactment 1 different alternatively of engaging successful a warfare of attrition which had the imaginable of destroying the nation’s economy.

Ndume made the entreaty pursuing the face-off betwixt the absorption of Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) arsenic good arsenic the Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria, (DAPPMAN).

The national lawmaker made this entreaty successful a connection connected Wednesday.

Recall, NUPENG precocious embarked connected an concern enactment which led to a shutdown of lipid depots.

The national cited the alleged refusal of the absorption of Dangote Refinery to let its motortruck drivers articulation the union.

This, the unionists argued, contravened sections of the Trade Union Act. DAPPMAN, the umbrella assemblage of substance importers connected its portion accused Dangote Refinery of plotting to stifle contention by selling its products cheaper to planetary traders compared to what they sold to section marketers.

The Department of State Service (DSS) intervened and brokered a truce to forestall what the work considered a menace to nationalist security.

Ndume expressed concerns implicit what helium called “a poisonous media communicative to overgarment Dangote successful atrocious airy successful the eyes of Nigerians and the planetary community.”

Senator Ndume said, “Before Dangote took the hazard to physique his refinery, erstwhile administrations had granted licenses to galore Nigerians. What did they bash with it.? Some of them lone cashed connected the incentives of crude lipid allocation.

“If my representation serves maine right, licenses were granted to 12 backstage operators arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2002 to physique refineries and trim dependence connected imported fuel.

“The 2nd circular of licenses was done successful 2007 by the past Department of Petroleum Resouces ( DPR) aft revoking the archetypal batch and granted 9 caller licenses to backstage investors.

“Those parading themselves arsenic substance importers contiguous didn’t prehend the inaugural to travel unneurotic to physique refineries.

“Again, during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, licenses were granted to backstage investors to physique modular refineries.”

He further said, “How galore of them really scratched the aboveground but they are ganging up to falsely impeach Dangote of monopolizing the market.

“It is incorrect to speech astir monopoly successful a deregulated industry. There is nary deliberate bottlenecks against anyone and nary subordinate has been accorded peculiar concession to the detriment of others.”

The lawmaker urged regulatory agencies successful the industry, the Ministry of Petroleum Resouces and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, ( NMDPRA), to intervene to forestall an each retired feud among the players.

Ndume further said, “I impulse NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and each acrophobic stakeholders to prosecute successful constructive dialog with Dangote alternatively than inciting part and undue sensationalism successful the media.

“Our communal extremity should beryllium to equilibrium labour rights with the imperatives of nationalist improvement and not enactment mean citizens astatine the receiving extremity of a needless powerfulness tussle.”

The station Ndume to NUPENG, DAPPMAN: Support Dangote alternatively of demonising him appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.