Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote Group, revealed that his friend, who had previously advised him against making investments in Nigeria, was now making fun of him for disobeying his advice.
Dangote made this revelation in a Sunday interview with PREMIUM TIMES, shortly after the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority was reported to have asserted that the diesel produced at the Dangote Refinery was of lower quality.
“Four years ago, one of my very wealthy friends began to invest his money abroad. I disagreed with him and urged him to rethink his actions in the interest of his country.
“He blamed his action on policy inconsistencies and shenanigans of interest groups.
“That friend has been taunting me in the past few days, saying he warned me and that he has been proven right,” Dangote was quoted to have said.
He claimed he bought the refinery to contribute to the nation’s solution to a significant problem and questioned why some individuals were conspiring against him.
He added, “As you probably know, I am 67 years old. In less than three years, I will be 70. I need very little to live the rest of my life. I can’t take the refinery or any other property or asset to my grave. Everything I do is in the interest of my country.’
“We have been facing a fuel crisis since the 70s. This refinery can assist in fixing the issue, but it seems like some people find it awkward that I am in the photo. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, run the refinery.
“This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, and run the refinery. At least the country will have high-quality products and create jobs.”
After ten years of delayed construction, the $650,000 barrel-per-day refinery finally opened its doors last year. It cost $19 billion, more than twice as much as initially estimated, and was expected to help Africa’s largest oil producer wean itself off of its reliance on foreign fuel and save up to 30% of the foreign exchange spent on importing goods.
On Sunday, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, said it was expecting fresh reports to confirm the real sulphur content of the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery as the company debunked claims of inferior fuel production.
The NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the agency had done its job and would not engage in a media fight with anybody over the claims made by the NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, that Dangote’s diesel has more sulphur content than imported one.
According to Ene-Ita, the authority has about 15 engineers and scientists embedded in the Dangote refinery, whose fresh report about the refinery’s sulphur content will be out on Monday (today).
Africa’s richest man had earlier narrated how a cabal was blocking his moves to import crude and how it has been difficult to get products, slowing down operations.
But last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said the Nigerian government was yet to license the Dangote refinery to begin operations in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the state House on Thursday, July 18.
According to Ahmed, the claims of ongoing efforts to scuttle the operations of Dangote refinery due to lack of supply of crude oil by International Oil Companies were not true, adding that the refinery was still at the pre-commissioning stage and has not been licensed yet.
Ahmed went on to say that Dangote’s diesel product fell short of international standards, a point the businessman had denied.
