The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Officials have called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate allegations by officials that some international oil majors are conspiring to sabotage the success of the Dangote Refinery Plant.
In a July 1 letter sent to the president through Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, the unions said they were “deeply concerned and shocked by the recent extraordinary allegations by the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Ltd. of a deliberate plot by some international oil companies to frustrate their business efforts and continued existence”
The letter, jointly signed by the secretary of NUPENG, Olawale Afolabi, and his PENGASSAN counterpart, Lumumba Okugbawa, said the alleged sabotage allegedly included blocking crude oil supplies to the refinery and artificially inflating the market price of crude oil to the company. This forced the refinery to source crude oil from other countries, resulting in high operational and logistical costs.
“The Dangote Refinery is not only a key national asset but also a beacon of hope for energy security, economic growth, and job opportunities. The economic benefits that a local refinery of Dangote’s calibre would bring to Nigeria cannot be overstated. For this reason, NUPENG and PENGASSAN have campaigned vigorously for Nigeria to make it a prerequisite for companies seeking to benefit from JVC arrangements with Nigeria to set up their refineries and petrochemical companies in Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, none of the successive governments have mustered enough political and patriotic courage to pursue this logical and realistic political course.
“The survival of companies that have had the courage to invest huge amounts in refining Nigerian crude oil, thereby benefiting other countries and saving our country from wasteful importation of products at the expense of foreign currency, should be of great interest to Nigeria and may be of great interest to the people as it will have enormous economic impact,” the letter partly read.
The petroleum workers called on the Federal Government to set up an independent commission to investigate the alleged sabotage by some IOCs, arguing that the investigation must be comprehensive and transparent to ensure that all involved are held accountable. They also demanded that the findings of the investigation be made public to ensure transparency and maintain public confidence, as Nigerians have a right to know the truth about the IOC’s actions and their impact on the national interest.
“Should the allegations be substantiated, we expect the government to take decisive legal action against the companies involved, which should include sanctions, penalties, and other measures necessary to prevent future acts of economic sabotage.
“The government should provide all necessary support to ensure uninterrupted commissioning and operation of the Dangote Refinery, including ensuring safety and stability regarding the refinery’s operations.
“Your Excellency, we have confidence in Your Excellency’s courage and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian project and believe that the President will take decisive action to protect the Dangote Refinery and ensure its successful operation in the interest of the nation. Protecting our National assets is our collective responsibility,” they submitted.
The $20 billion Dangote refinery in Lekki, Lagos, is set to start selling petrol soon.
Dangote Group president Aliko Dangote said his company’s refineries would stop importation of refined petroleum products into Nigeria and Africa.
However, the company has expressed concern over IOC’s alleged refusal to sell crude oil to the refinery.
“The IOCs’ goal appears to be to collapse our refineries. They either deliberately charge exorbitantly high premiums or simply claim that there is no crude available.
“At some point, we were paying $6 more than the market price. This has forced us to cut production and import crude from far away countries like the US, resulting in increased production costs,” Devakumar Edwin, vice president of oil and gas at Dangote Industries Limited, said recently.
