By Abiola Olawale
The House of Representatives has adopted a motion to probe allegations to the effect that the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and International Oil Companies (IOCs) are trying to frustrate the operations of the Dangote Refinery owned by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The Green Chambers during its plenary on Thursday vowed to investigate why the Dangote Refinery is being denied crude oil allocation.
The House also resolved to investigate the claim by the chairman of Dangote Refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, alleging that Nigeria, through the NNPCL, owns only 7 per cent shares of the refinery contrary to the initial thinking that it was 20 per cent as known to Nigerians.
Adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley China, the House asked the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the NUPRC to support the Dangote refinery and ensure its success.
The New Diplomat reports that Dangote through the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, had accused International Oil Companies in Nigeria of plotting to frustrate the survival of the new Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals.
Edwin said the IOCs were “deliberately and willfully frustrating” the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the cost above the market price, thereby forcing the refinery to import crude from countries as far as the United States, with its attendant high costs.
Edwin had also accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority of granting licences indiscriminately to marketers to import dirty refined products into the country.
