The Federal Government has been urged to give Dangote Refinery a free hand to operate and protect it from strangulation.

This followed a fact-finding visit to the facility by a 17-man team of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Thursday, 5th September, 2024, ROYAL NEWS has gathered.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, 6th September, 2024 by the Executive Director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“In view of the severe hardship facing Nigerians, in view of the fact that the masses have placed their hope in the likelihood of a drastic fall in the price of petroleum products once the Dangote Refinery starts functioning and in the face of the devastating blow delivered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by suddenly raising the price of its fuel and banning Dangote Refinery from supplying any other marketer except NNPC, we, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), concerned for the plight of poor Nigerians, went on a fact-finding mission to Dangote refinery.

“Seventeen members of our organization visited the newly completed Dangote Refinery at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State. Authorities of the refinery granted our request to enter the premises on self-recognition. The visit took place yesterday, Thursday, 5th September, 2024.

“Although full details of our findings will be disclosed in a press conference to be addressed very soon, we are constrained to issue an advance statement as a precursor to the press conference.

“Nigerians are going through severe hardship. There is hunger in the land. Inflation has made life difficult for many particularly after the removal of fuel subsidy which shot the price of petrol to the rooftop. But Nigerians were assured of coming relief as they were told that the price of petrol will reduce drastically when Dangote Refinery starts to function.

“But we were shocked to our marrows when NNPC suddenly announced an upward review of petrol from N617 to N897 (https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/). This happened on Saturday, 31st August 2024 ( just 24 hours to the commencement of full operations by Dangote Refinery).

“To make matters worse, NNPC made itself the only marketer of Dangote fuel thereby sandwiching the latter’s product. By taking these two actions, NNPC has effectively taken control of Dangote’s fuel and the real owner cannot determine the price of its own product. This is an ambush, a punch below the belt.

“If NNPC had not increased the price of its own fuel, the decision to monopolise Dangote’s fuel would have favoured the hoi polloi, but by increasing the price and restricting the supply of Dangote’s fuel to itself alone, NNPC has rendered Dangote Refinery helpless.

“MURIC finds NNPC’s action to be anti-people, immoral and lacking in conscience. It is an open secret that the prices of most products, particularly food items, are tied to the umbilical cords of petroleum and its price. The latter is the engine room that moves the economy.

“There is also no gainsaying the fact that Nigerians are hungry today because the price of petrol skyrocketed and the prices of foodstuffs rose astronomically and spontaneously.

“Nigerians became hungry and justifiably angry. Protests erupted North and South of the country. MURIC was among the patriotic groups that appealed to Nigerians to simmer down. Nigerians were told that the price of petrol would crash when Dangote Refinery comes on board (https://punchng-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/punchng.com/local-refining-may-crash-petrol-price-to-n300-litre-modular-refineries/).

“But NNPC has shattered the hope of the jamaahiir (masses) by raising the price of petrol and disallowing other marketers from buying from Dangote Refinery. This is against the spirit of free economy. It contravenes natural law of justice. It is not fair. What was the contribution of NNPC to the new refinery? How can NNPC suddenly take full control of Dangote Refinery, the hope of the masses to whose process it contributed virtually nothing?

“We charge NNPC to retrace its steps on this matter. It is too sensitive. Nigerians had placed their hopes on a fait accompli status of Dangote’s fuel to reduce hardship. This refinery must not be strangulated.

“Besides, NNPC’s recent actions appear to stand in contradistinction with the policy of this administration. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave Nigerians his word that Dangote Refinery would be encouraged to realize its full potential. Who is NNPC working for, Tinubu or his detractors?

“NNPC must not allow fifth columnists whose wish is to bring down Tinubu-Shettima administration to have their way. NNPC should know that frustrating Nigerians is one of the fastest ways to bring a regime to a premature end.

“We therefore charge NNPC to go back to its old price. NNPC must also leave Dangote Refinery alone to operate at its maximum capacity, supply freely to marketers and fix its own prices as expected in a truly free market economy.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported the supply of crude oil to Dangote Refinery with payment in naira but our team discovered during the visit that crude oil is yet to be supplied. This is alarming. Is it still the cabal? We thought Tinubu had demystified the myth of the cabal.

“The world is watching and laughing at a nation that has garments yet walking about naked. As the father of the nation, President Tinubu must ensure that Nigeria does not dance naked in the global market place.”