- Safiu Kehinde
The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources has summoned Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to resolve disagreements threatening the downstream petroleum sector.
This is coming under the heels of Dangote’s corruption allegation against the NMDPRA.
NPO Reported that the Dangote Group CEO, Aliko Dangote, had, in a press briefing held on Monday, called for the probe of NMDPRA CEO, Farouk Ahmed, who he accused of spending $5 million on school fees of his four children enrolled in a Swiss secondary school.
The NMDPRA was also accused of issuing licences for the importation of petroleum products from Russia.
Speaking after an emergency meeting held on Monday, the House Committee Chairman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, harped on the need for the committee to act swiftly as he warned that the rising tensions could undermine the fragile stability recently achieved.
“The key issue is the renewed tension arising from concerns and allegations raised by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA.
“We are guarding hard-won stability; sustainable solutions require identifying critical issues, hence our invitation to Dangote and the NMDPRA leadership,” he said.
Ugochinyere said petitions received cover import licence issuance and whether domestic refineries can meet Nigeria’s daily petroleum demand.
Ugochinyere said all outstanding matters would be examined when refining and regulatory stakeholders appear before the committee.