Patronage of Dangote Refinery will save Nigeria N24tr annually — APC-VOTA

The APC Vanguard for Optimum Transparency and Accountability (APC-VOTA) says the decision by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and major oil marketers to patronise Dangote Refinery will save the authorities a whopping N24 trillion yearly.

Led by Engr. Shola Olatunji, the group, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, claimed that imports of petroleum products currently stand at N2 trillion monthly.

Applauding the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and major oil marketers over the decision to lift and distribute fuel from the Dangote refinery to end-users across the country, APC-VOTA called on the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPCL, Engr. Mele Kyari, fulfilled his promises by fixing the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.

The group expressed optimism that, by patronising locally refined petroleum products, the nation’s economy will stabilise, as the naira will strengthen significantly against foreign currencies, thus discouraging the importation of refined products.

The group argued that, aside from making the products available across the country, thereby preventing the usual artificial scarcity during the yuletide, lifting from Dangote Refinery will also strengthen the naira against foreign currencies.

They added that this development will save Nigerians from purchasing adulterated and high-sulphur-density petroleum products allegedly being imported into the country by some unscrupulous oil marketers.

On the need to rehabilitate the ailing local refineries, the group said it was evident that Kyari could not make the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries work again.

“It’s obvious to all Nigerians that Kyari lacks what it takes to fix our refineries. Despite trillions of naira injected into the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, there is nothing to show for it, and the man is not saying anything anymore, after running out of excuses.

“Keeping such a man any longer is tantamount to keeping an infested ripe fruit; since you can’t eat it, just remove it neatly, because the more you leave it there, the more it infests other fruits until the whole system becomes compromised and collapses.

“The only solution to the fuel crisis in Nigeria is the sack of Kyari and the functioning of our refineries. Anything less is tantamount to prolonging our doomsday,” the group added.

Recall that the NNPCL stated it has stopped importing refined petroleum products and is now off-taking fuel from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other local refineries.