By The New Diplomat Political Desk
The House of Representatives has demanded the immediate suspension of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority(NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over what it regarded as an “unguarded statement,” towards the Dangote Refinery owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.
The Green Chamber said the call for the suspension of Ahmed is to facilitate ongoing investigations of allegations on his public battle with Dangote.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon Esosa Iyawe, the lawmaker representing Esosa Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives.
Iyawe, leading his debate during Tuesday’s plenary said there is an urgent need to address issues arising from Farouk’s utterances about the nation’s local refineries.
The lawmaker reminded his colleagues that claims of adulterated fuel in the Nigerian market must be thoroughly investigated, stating that fuel quality can impact engine hardware.
He said considering the various risks associated with sulphur, countries across the world have taken steps to regulate it by setting standards that require maximum reduction of emissions of this chemical compound, which diesel producers are expected to adhere to.
He said: “In their defence, Dangote called for a test of their products, which was supervised by members of the House of Representatives, wherein it was revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a Sulphur content of 87.6 ppm (parts per million), whereas the other two samples diesel imported showed sulphur levels exceeding 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm respectively, thus disproving the allegations made by the NMDPRA boss.
“Allegations have been made that the NMDPRA was giving licences to some traders who regularly import high-sulphur content diesel into Nigeria, and the use of such products poses grave health risks and huge financial losses for Nigerians.
“The unguarded statements by the Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, which has since been disproved, sparked an outrage from Nigerians who tagged his undermining of local refineries and insistence on the continued importation of fuel an act of economic sabotage, as the imported products have been shown to contain high levels of dangerous compounds.”
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives has already tasked its joint committee to look into the allegations and counter-allegations flying between Dangote and the NMDPRA.
The joint Committee on Monday, July 22, 2024, had its inaugural sitting, kicking off investigations into Farouk’s allegations against Dangote Refinery.
It would also be recalled that the Chief executive of the NMDPRA had claimed that the diesel from Dangote’s plant contained high levels of sulphur, harmful to engines and the environment.
Ahmed also said that Nigeria cannot depend on products from the Dangote refinery, revealing that products from the 650,000 barrels refinery are inferior and substandard in quality.
In response, Dangote invited members of the House of Representatives on a tour of the refinery to witness lab tests and make a comparison between the sulphur content of its diesel with imported samples.
According to Dangote, the tests revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, significantly lower than the imported samples, which had levels exceeding 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm.
Dangote explained that the result does not only show the reality of products from his refinery, but it also shows that substandard petroleum products are being imported into the country and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians.
