Stop Painting Dangote As Villain, Ndume Slams Oil Workers

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has cautioned labour unions and stakeholders successful the lipid manufacture against what helium described arsenic a deliberate effort to “demonise” Dangote Refinery amid ongoing disputes successful the downstream petroleum sector.

The involution came connected the heels of a 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 Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).

Recall that NUPENG had precocious embarked connected an concern action, shutting down depots implicit the refinery’s alleged refusal to let motortruck drivers to articulation the national arsenic required nether the Trade Union Act. On its part, DAPPMAN accused the refinery of stifling contention by allegedly offering products astatine cheaper rates to planetary traders portion sidelining Nigerian marketers.

Although the Department of State Services (DSS) has since waded into the dispute, tensions remained precocious successful the sector.

However, successful a connection issued successful Abuja connected Wednesday, Ndume described the backlash against Dangote arsenic “a poisonous media communicative to overgarment Dangote successful a atrocious airy successful the eyes of Nigerians and the planetary community.”

He urged unions and stakeholders to prosecute dialog alternatively than fueling division. “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,” helium said.

The lawmaker, who represents Borno South, recalled that successive administrations had issued refinery licences to backstage operators but lamented that galore of them failed to deliver.

“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 successful 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 Resources 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 Buhari administration, licenses were granted to backstage investors to physique modular refineries. How galore of them really scratched the surface, but they are ganging up to falsely impeach Dangote of monopolising the market,” Ndume stated.

The lawmaker insisted it was incorrect to impeach Dangote of seeking monopoly, noting that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) had already deregulated the sector.

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

Ndume further urged regulators, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to measurement successful and forestall disputes from disrupting the organisation of petroleum products nationwide.