By Abiola Olawale
Some individuals have begun to intensify calls for the outright sack of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, following his controversial comments on the Dangote Refinery owned by Africa’s richest man and business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Several individuals from Nigeria have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately intervene and initiate an investigation into the matter.
An economist who spoke with the press under the condition of anonymity stated that it seems some major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry are attempting to undermine the Dangote and rubbish his multibillionaire Refinery.
The economist pointed out that Dangote, himself had severally said that some powerful elements tried in the past to stop him from building the 650,000 barrels Refinery.
He added that the President needs to look into the matter and resolve the issues between NMDPRA and Dangote before it escalates into a full-blown crisis.
The New Diplomat reports that Ahmed has been in the news after claiming that the 650,000 barrels Dangote Refinery located in Lagos state which was opened in December 2023, is still at its the pre-commissioning stage.
Ahmed had stated that the Dangote Refinery stands at 45% completion. He also affirmed that the quality of the refinery’s $19 billion products is markedly inferior to imported alternatives.
However, Dangote has since rejected claims that petroleum products from his refinery were substandard.
The business mogul, while speaking with a delegation of House of Reps members led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, said the comments of the NMDPRA boss are targeted at soiling the reputation of his refinery.
During the visit, Dangote ordered his team to test diesel produced from his refinery and diesel bought from other stations at the laboratories.
The results, according to Dangote, showed that the sulphur content in the diesel from other stations was above 2,631 and 1,829; much higher than the recommended level while the tests for the flash point showed results of 26 and 63 respectively for the diesel from other stations. Both results fell short of the recommended minimum of 66.
The results for the diesel from Dangote turned out to be 87.6 ppm for sulphur and 96 flashpoints.
Reacting to the result, 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.
Following the public face-off between Dangote and the NMDPRA Boss, Nigerians have begun to react to the development.
Some Nigerians have viewed Ahmed’s comments as economic sabotage and have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sack him.
Below are some of the reactions curated from social media:
“The NMDPRA CEO, Farouk Ahmed comments on the Dangote Refinery are not only derogatory but also unpatriotic.
“The Dangote Refinery, the first private refinery of such capacity in Nigeria and projected to be the largest in Africa, represents a significant achievement for our nation.”(@UdeaniAnthony)
“While you’re calling out Farouk Ahmed, don’t forget that Mele Kyari, GMD of NNPC was standing beside him in that interview. Make of this what you will.”(@SpotlightAbey)
“Mele Kolo Kyari, Farouk Ahmed & Co must resign, their continuous stay is dangerous. We do not need another round of lab sample tests of crude from Dangote’s Refinery. These gentlemen are unpatriotic and selfish& their loyalty lies only with their foreign collaborators. End to sabotage.”(@LawalOladimeji)
“Farouk Ahmed does not deserve another 24 hours on that seat. His statement was outrageous, wayward, outrightly irresponsible, and capable of even damaging all of FG’s efforts to attract real investors to the country. He should be removed without further delay.”(@Agbaje)
