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

By John Alechenu, Abuja

Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged stakeholders successful Nigeria’s downstream lipid assemblage to enactment unneurotic alternatively than prosecute successful conflicts that could harm the nation’s economy.

Ndume made the entreaty successful a connection issued successful Abuja connected Wednesday, pursuing the ongoing face-off betwixt the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), arsenic good arsenic the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).

NUPENG had precocious embarked connected concern enactment that unopen down lipid depots, accusing Dangote Refinery of refusing to let its motortruck drivers to articulation the union—an enactment they said contravened the Trade Union Act. DAPPMAN besides alleged that the refinery was stifling contention by offering products to planetary traders astatine little prices than those fixed to section marketers.

The Department of State Services (DSS) was forced to intervene to broker peace, describing the quality arsenic a imaginable menace to nationalist security.

Ndume, however, expressed interest implicit what helium described arsenic “a poisonous media narrative” aimed astatine portraying Dangote negatively successful Nigeria and abroad.

He said: “Before Dangote took the hazard to physique his refinery, erstwhile administrations had granted licenses to galore Nigerians. What did they bash with them? Some lone exploited crude lipid allocations for idiosyncratic gain.

“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. A 2nd circular of licenses was issued successful 2007 by the past Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), aft revoking the archetypal batch, but however galore of them really made progress?

“During the Muhammadu Buhari administration, licenses were again granted for modular refineries, yet fewer scratched the surface. Now, those aforesaid radical are ganging up to falsely impeach Dangote of monopolizing the market.”

The lawmaker argued that it was incorrect to talk of monopoly successful a deregulated industry, stressing that nary peculiar concessions were granted to Dangote astatine the disbursal of others.

He called connected the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, regulatory agencies, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to measurement successful and forestall an all-out crisis.

Ndume added: “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 nationalist development—not spot mean Nigerians astatine the mercy of a needless powerfulness tussle.”

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