Meanwhile, civil society and religious groups yesterday demanded a probe into activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL), following allegations Aliko ?angote made against some officials of the company.
Recall that ?angote had alleged that some officials of the company operate a blending plant in Malta, from where they import low quality fuel into the country.
The groups, which also demanded the sack of the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer (GMD), Mele Kyari, said they would stage a 2-day march on the National Assembly and the NNPCL headquarters, but failed to state when.
Some of the groups involved include: Civil Society Network on Economic and Social Advancement, (CSNOESA), Arewa Transformational Leaders, (ATL), Afenifere Intelligence (AI), Nzuko Ohanaeze Ndigbo (NONI), as well as Christians and Muslims Leaders of Nigeria, (CAMLON).
At a joint briefing in Abuja yesterday, the groups said the persistent fuel scarcity that had plagued the country for the two years of Mele Kyari’s reign was a clear indication of the lack of transparency within the NNPCL.
“Despite Nigeria’s status as a major oil-producing nation, our citizens have been forced to endure long queues at filling stations, often paying as high as N1,000 for a litre of petrol, a product that should be readily available and affordable”, the groups said, in the joint address signed by Abubakar Mohammed, Nze Uche Okonkwo, Ibrahim Bagudu, Chief Oluwole Akande, Bishop Ejeh Adakoyi and Dr. Segun Okeowo.
The statement read: “We are deeply disturbed by the recent report from Alhaji Aliko ?angote, the renowned Nigerian businessman and Africa’s richest man, which revealed that the NNPCL had invested only 7.2% in the ?angote Refinery project. This is in stark contrast to the public statement made by the NNPCL, which claimed a 20 per cent stake. in the refinery.
“We express grave concerns over the recent allegations made by Aliko ?angote, chairman of ?angote Industries Limited, against personnel of the NNPCL.
Dangote has accused NNPCL officials, oil traders, and terminal operators of opening a blending plant in Malta, undermining the Nigerian economy”.
