CHAIRMAN of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has urged federal lawmakers to probe ‘poor quality’ fuel in circulation at various filling stations and other retail outlets in Nigeria.
Dangote said many vehicle issues could be traced to the “substandard” imported fuel.
He urged the House of Representatives leadership to set up an independent committee to verify the quality of petrol available at filling stations.
He also alleged that some Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) officials had opened a blending plant in Malta.
Dangote stated these at the House of Representatives on Monday, July 22.
An oil blending plant has no refining capability but can blend re-refined oil (a used motor oil that has been treated to remove dirt, fuel, and water) with additives to create finished lubricant products.
“Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people, and some traders have opened a blending plant somewhere off Malta,” Dangote claimed.
“We all know these areas. We know what they are doing.”
Commenting on diesel quality, the billionaire said the diesel produced locally at 650 parts per million (ppm) and 700 ppm is of better quality than imported fuel.
“I want you to set up a committee that will come with every representative headed by your chosen honorable member to come and lead in taking samples from filling stations because I must tell you today that all the test certificates that people are busy floating around, where are the labs? Even if they have the labs, I can tell you they are fake certificates,” he said.
“The real one that you now know that they are right is to take from the filling station and also come and take from our production line. Now, you will be able to tell Nigerians that this is it,’ he added.
On Monday, the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (downstream and midstream) launched a probe into claims that local refineries, including the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, produce inferior products.
The committee is also investigating the allegations that the international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria are frustrating the survival of the Dangote Refinery.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has been daggers-drawn with Dangote Petrochemical Refinery.
On July 18, the chief executive officer of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, said the Dangote refinery, was producing inferior products compared to the ones imported into the country.
The ICIR reported that the oil regulator also accused Dangote of monopoly, claims which have been denied by the billionaire through laboratory test results by some federal lawmakers.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.