Efforts to get official reaction to the issue from the regulatory body, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), proved abortive.
But in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, and monitored by Weekend Trust, the Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, spoke to some of the issues.
On the allegation that there were efforts to sabotage Dangote, the Chief Executive Officer said there was nothing like that.
He added, “Dangote himself said that we are helping him. We have more than 10 workers who are working 24/7 to make sure everything goes as planned and he personally came to say, thank you. So saying that we are undermining or sabotaging him is incorrect.
“People don’t want to be guided by laws; maybe they want to be allowed to do as they please.
Ahmed further stated: “What he’s trying to do is to monopolise the oil import market by being the sole supplier forcing everyone to buy from him. But the market doesn’t operate that way. Imagine you’re at the market buying yams, if one seller is charging N30,000 for a basket and another is charging N20,000, you can choose which one to buy from. The market operates on competition and choice, so there’s no need to restrict it”.
On the quality of product
The chief executive officer said they had documents showing that it does not have the same standards as imported oil.
He added, “Despite this, we didn’t halt sale of Dangote’s oil because it’s not extremely harmful. Nevertheless, the refinery’s oil has a high sulfur content of 650, whereas imported oil typically has a much lower content of under 50. The lower the sulfur content, the better the oil quality.”
However, he noted that ECOWAS member-countries allow the use of oil with lower quality standards, so they permitted its use, adding that it’s nothing to do with undermining the refinery rather it’s a matter of quality.
On claims that Dangote was not given the needed support to succeed
Alhaji Farouk faulted the claim, reiterating his cooperation with Dangote, citing shared heritage and faith, but emphasised that their priority is the protection of the people. He noted that in a market economy, consumers have the freedom to choose and are not forced to buy from a specific individual.
“We wholeheartedly support Aliko Dangote and are proud of his accomplishment. As a fellow Nigerian, northerner, and Muslim, we have a shared identity and values. Out of fear of God and our shared heritage, we would never sabotage his efforts. However, our primary concern is protecting public health and upholding the rights of the people. We believe in fair competition, where individuals have the freedom to choose where they shop. Forcing people to buy from one specific vendor is unjust. Everyone should be able to make their own choices, and monopolising the market is wrong,” he added.
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