The rivalry between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Dangote Refinery, took a dramatic turn Sunday when Refinery refuted claims made by the spokesperson of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, that the refinery sold Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the company at N898 per litre.
Recall that on Sunday, the NNPCL as the sole buyer, commenced lifting of PMS, also known as petrol, from the 650,000 barrels per day refinery at Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State.
However, the Dangote Refinery, in a statement issued Sunday night by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Mr. Anthony Chiejina, described the claim as misleading and an attempt to undermine the significant progress made in addressing Nigeria’s long-standing energy challenges.
Chiejina emphasised that the refinery’s current stock of crude was procured in dollars, adding that sales to the NNPCL were conducted in dollars, resulting in considerable savings compared to the prices of imported fuel.
He also reassured Nigerians that there will soon be adequate petrol supply across the country, reaching the most remote local government areas.
The refinery urged Nigerians to disregard the claims made by NNPCL spokesperson, Mr Olufemi Soneye and await the formal pricing announcement from the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The refinery reiterated its commitment to ensuring the availability of quality petroleum products and ending fuel scarcity in Nigeria.
The statement reads, ”Our attention has been drawn to a statement attributed to NNPCL spokesperson, Mr Olufemi Soneye, that we sell our PMS at N898 per litre to the NNPCL.
”This statement is both misleading and mischievous, deliberately aimed at undermining the milestone achievement recorded today, September 15, 2024, towards addressing energy insufficiency and insecurity, which has bedevilled the economy in the past 50 years.
”We urge Nigerians to disregard this malicious statement and await a formal announcement on the pricing, by the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, which will commence on October 1, 2024, bearing in mind that our current stock of crude was procured in dollars.
”It should also be noted that we sold the products to NNPCL in dollars with a lot of savings against what they are currently importing. With this action, there will be petrol in every local government area of the country regardless of their remote nature.
”We assure Nigerians of availability of quality petroleum product and putting an end to the endemic fuel scarcity in the country.”
Other Articles
The World Celebrates Chief Gabriel Igbinedion at 90
Unveiling the Truth Behind False Accusations, Unjust Sentences
