Despite the claimed reconciliatory moves by the federal government to broker peace between Dangote, owner of the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL), the frosty relationship is getting messier with accusations and challenges of proves even in the public space.
Over the weekend, Dangote, Africa’s richest man and the owner of the $20bn refinery in Lagos, said some NNPC personnel and oil traders operate a blending plant in Malta, thereby frustrating local production of petroleum products.
Regulatory authorities had questioned the quality of petroleum products produced at the refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
However, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, says he does not own a blending plant in Malta, adding that he does not know of any employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited who owns such a facility in the island country in Europe.
Kyari, in a Tuesday post on X (formerly Twitter), asked the President of Dangote Group, Dangote, to publicly declare NNPC personnel who operate a blending plant in Malta.
The foremost industrialist has insisted that the quality of products at his refinery surpasses the ones imported by marketers.
He said the bad fuel imported into the country has damaged many cars. “I still stand by what I said. Go to filling stations, you can check the quality. That is the only way,” he said.
“We know where they blend these things. Some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened a blending plant somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing,” Dangote said.
Kyari Responds
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In his response on Tuesday, Kyari said, “To clarify the allegations regarding blending plant, I do not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world with the exception of a local mini Agric venture. Neither am I aware of any employee of the NNPC, that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.
“A blending plant in Malta or any part of the world has no influence over NNPC’s business operations and strategic actions.
“For further assurance, our compliance sanction grid shall apply to any NNPC employee who is established to be involved in doing so if availed and I strongly recommend that such individuals be declared public and be made known to relevant government security agencies for necessary actions in view of the grave implications for national energy security.”
Last December, Dangote commenced operations at his behemoth facility located in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day. The refinery hopes to achieve its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year.
The refinery has begun the supply of diesel and aviation fuel to marketers in the country while petrol supply is expected to commence in August amid regulatory resistance.