EMBRACE DIALOGUE, STOP DEMONISING DANGOTE, NDUME URGES NUPENG, OTHERS
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By Shodayo Sunmisola Michael
Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Wednesday, warned labor unions and stakeholders within the oil sector against what he characterized as an increasing effort to vilify Dangote Refinery.
His engagement comes in response to the confrontation between the management of Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, alongside the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria.
NUPENG recently undertook industrial action, halting operations at depots due to the refinery’s purported refusal to permit truck drivers to affiliate with the union as mandated by the Trade Union Act.
In turn, DAPPMAN charged the refinery with suppressing competition by allegedly selling products to international traders at reduced prices compared to Nigerian marketers.
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Although the Department of State Services has intervened to mediate the conflict with the workers’ union, tensions continue to linger in the downstream sector.
In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndume cautioned against what he termed “a toxic media narrative aimed at casting Dangote in an unfavorable light in the eyes of Nigerians and the global community. ”
“I urge NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and all concerned stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with Dangote rather than inciting division and undue sensationalism in the media.
“Our common goal should be to balance labour rights with the imperatives of national development and not put ordinary citizens at the receiving end of a needless power tussle,” he stated.
The senator recalled that prior administrations endeavored to encourage private operators to establish refineries but lamented that many licensees did not rise to the occasion.
He remarked, “Before Dangote took the risk to build his refinery, previous administrations had granted licenses to many Nigerians. What did they do with it? Some of them only cashed in on the incentives of crude oil allocation.
“If my memory serves me right, licenses were granted to 12 private operators as far back as 2002 to build refineries and reduce dependence on imported fuel. The second round of licenses was done in 2007 by the then Department of Petroleum Resources after revoking the first batch, and granted nine new licenses to private investors.
“Those parading themselves as fuel importers today didn’t seize the initiative to come together to build refineries. Again, during the Buhari administration, licenses were granted to private investors to build modular refineries. How many of them actually scratched the surface, but they are ganging up to falsely accuse Dangote of monopolising the market?”
Ndume, who represents Borno South, affirmed that it is unjust to allege that Dangote is pursuing monopolistic practices within the petroleum sector.
The former Senate chief whip also contended that the Federal Government has already implemented measures to deregulate the sector in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, fostering an environment conducive to fair competition.
“It is wrong to talk about monopoly in a deregulated industry. There are no deliberate bottlenecks against anyone, and no player has been accorded a special concession to the detriment of others,” he added.
He appealed to regulatory bodies, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to intervene and avert conflicts from jeopardizing the distribution of petroleum products.
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