₦airaland Forum

Former Chief Whip of the Senate and current senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has asked key players in the oil industry including the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and others to embrace dialogue and resolve the face-off with Dangote Refinery.

In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, the Borno lawmaker said, “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.”


Daily Trust reports that NUPENG had recently embarked on industrial action, leading to the shutting down of depots, following what it called the failure of the management of Dangote Refinery to allow its truck drivers join the union as vested in the Trade Union Act,

Also, DAPPMAN, the umbrella body of fuel importers, had accused the Dangote Refinery of a plot to stifle competition by selling its products at cheaper prices to international traders as compared to the amount it gives the same products to marketers in Nigeria.

But Ndume expressed concerns over what he called “a poisonous media narrative to paint Dangote in bad light in the eyes of Nigerians and the international community,” saying the development is not healthy for the country.

“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 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 (DPR) after revoking the first batch and granting nine new licenses to private investors, “he said.

“Those parading themselves as fuel importers today didn’t seize the initiative to come together to build refineries. Again, during the Muhammadu 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. Our common goal should be to balance labour rights with the imperatives of national development and not putting ordinary citizens at the receiving end of a needless power tussle,” he added.

gratiaeo:
With APC Buhari government giving
Dangote dollar at different price

Tochi3:


..why should they seize..?

..if tthey should cease the opportunity..Dangote would have frustrated it..Dangote couldn't have built that refinery without the loans from FG..

..maybe the Petroleum marketers should have ceased some loans to build one..

IBB007:
lol…I still don’t know why all these oil and gas associations can’t come together and build one functional refinery…they’ve really made enough from importation and dangote don comot food for their mouth

Gotocourt:
Each loaded petrol tanker pays 20k 8years ago. Multiply that by 4000 trucks dangote is injecting. That's 80M naira. Each truck will go 2-3 trips per month. You see why NUPENG is screaming blood 🤷🏿

Tochi3:


..why should they seize..?

..if tthey should cease the opportunity..Dangote would have frustrated it..Dangote couldn't have built that refinery without the loans from FG..

..maybe the Petroleum marketers should have ceased some loans to build one..

emmanuelewumi:
Upon the hundreds of billions of dollars they made from fuel subsidy from 1993 to 2023, that is for 30 years. The fuel importers could not save and build a refinery.

Whereas Dangote did not benefit from the fuel subsidy scam

Sirleo05:
Them suppose to they protect, pamper dangote and see how them fit do business with am . This kind business na on how to see say fuel, kerosene and diesel reduce in price. Government way I been think say them for don give am better incentive either in tax reduction or lower the price of crude oil to him so that it will reflect on the price of the end users ( we ), rather ,na FIGHT them still they fight am.

Tochi3:


..you must ask urself pertinent intelligent questions..

..who are the importers..if not thesame government officials..?..how do you know that Dangote did not benefit from the scam..

.Dangote begged the FG & other international agencies for loans..despite all the billions he monopolized through his government backed business..

.if it was about money to build refinery..why did Dangote beg the FG for loans of tax payers..?

dederocs:
In a free market economy, companies are free to sell at any amount they want, if you can't compete, go home. The unions are dumb, and have no right to tell Dangote how much to sell fuel for...they are sabotaging the economy and livelihoods of Nigerians for their selfish interest, this is economic sabotage. The unions and their excos in total are not up to one hundred thousand Nigerians, the interest of 200million Nigerians to access affordable fuel surpass theirs...this will have positive effects on our economy. These unions should be deregistered, they have no right to tell a company how much to sell its product, what type of anomaly is this?

descarado:
No, in free economy like the America, they do not practice free market system. We are too poor for that. Govt regulates essential goods and services. Even in America, the govt still provide fuel subsidy. If not, anybody can wake up and sell fuel 2k dollars for a litre.

Nigeria has its peculiar problems that is diff from what is obtainable all over.
The work of every govt is to checkmate demand and supply, price regulation across boards through their various depts that deal with it. Everywhere around the world.

Textbook economics is diff from economics in reality.
You can check out the disadvantages of free market economy. That's why no economy, even US that very close to that practice it 100%.

Tochi3:


..why should they seize..?

..if tthey should cease the opportunity..Dangote would have frustrated it..Dangote couldn't have built that refinery without the loans from FG..

..maybe the Petroleum marketers should have ceased some loans to build one..

gratiaeo:
With APC Buhari government giving
Dangote dollar at different price

Tochi3:


..why should they seize..?

..if tthey should cease the opportunity..Dangote would have frustrated it..Dangote couldn't have built that refinery without the loans from FG..

..maybe the Petroleum marketers should have ceased some loans to build one..

I have no love for this administration, but stop talking nonsense, Oga!

Dangote would have frustrated them how exactly? BUA and Lafarge are currently manufacturing and selling cement in Nigeria, has Dangote impeded their operations? When did Dangote become the Nigerian government?

Una go dey carry politics enter everything .

dederocs:
In a free market economy, companies are free to sell at any amount they want, if you can't compete, go home. The unions are dumb, and have no right to tell Dangote how much to sell fuel for...they are sabotaging the economy and livelihoods of Nigerians for their selfish interest, this is economic sabotage. The unions and their excos in total are not up to one hundred thousand Nigerians, the interest of 200million Nigerians to access affordable fuel surpass theirs...this will have positive effects on our economy. These unions should be deregistered, they have no right to tell a company how much to sell its product, what type of anomaly is this?

dederocs:
We are not talking of subsidies here, you are completely off point, learn to comprehend. The issue here is NUPENG trying to dictate to a manufacturer how much to sell, not about subsidy. I am not against subsidy, subsidy leads to low prices, am all for lower prices. Please respond intelligently, don't just talk plenty. Learn comprehension...the oil sector has been completely deregulated, hence it is a free market of competition, companies are free to lower prices, of course government can intervene if producers want to fix price to extort Nigerians, like the unions are suggesting...if Dangote can sell lower, by all means this is welcome and needed by Nigerians and the economy.