The debate condition the sulphur content material within the Automobile Fuel Oil, popularly known as diesel, produced via the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has but to bog down, The PUNCH experiences.
Over the weekend, there have been on-line experiences alleging that the diesel not too long ago equipped via the $20bn refinery contained prime sulphur.
This got here as oil entrepreneurs mentioned that regardless of the allegations of prime sulphur in Dangote diesel, disagree motorist or business shopper had registered any grievance in opposition to the product.
“We don’t want to be involved in the politics or claims and counter-claims about Dangote diesel, but what I going to tell you is that no transporter, motorist, or industrial consumer has complained about the diesel since we started distributing it,” the Nationwide President of the Detached Petroleum Entrepreneurs Affiliation of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, mentioned.
A manage professional of the Dangote Team mentioned the hot record on prime sulphur content material in Dangote diesel emanated from people who had been hellbent on destroying the refinery, describing the record as pretend.
The PUNCH recollects that the President of the Dangote Team, Aliko Dangote, and a few officers of the corporate had previous accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority of uploading grimy gasoline into Nigeria.
Presen accusing the world oil corporations of plans to frustrate the refinery, the Vice President of Oil and Fuel at Dangote Industries Restricted, Devakumar Edwin, additionally accused the NMDPRA of granting licences indiscriminately to entrepreneurs to import grimy delicate merchandise into the rustic.
In step with Edwin, the Federal Executive issued 25 licences for the development of refineries in Nigeria, however simplest the Dangote Team delivered on its word of honour.
“The Federal Government issued 25 licences to build refineries and we are the only one that delivered on our promise. In effect, we deserve every support from the government. It is good to note that from the start of production, more than 3.5 billion litres, which represents 90 per cent of our production, have been exported. We are calling on the Federal Government and regulators to give us the necessary support to create jobs and prosperity for the nation,” Edwin had mentioned.
He alleged that even supposing Dangote was once generating and bringing diesel into the marketplace, complying with the rules of the Financial Nation of West African States, “licences are being issued, in large quantities, to traders who are buying the extremely high sulphur diesel from Russia and dumping it in the Nigerian market.”
Edwin had lamented, “The decision of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in granting licenses indiscriminately for the importation of dirty diesel and aviation fuel has made the Dangote refinery expand into foreign markets. The refinery has recently exported diesel and aviation fuel to Europe and other parts of the world. The same industry players fought us for crashing the price of diesel and aviation fuel, but our aim, as I have said earlier, is to grow our economy.”
He argued that since the refinery met the world usual in addition to complied with stringent tips and rules to give protection to the native situation, it were in a position to export its merchandise to Europe and alternative portions of the arena.
“It is regrettable that in Nigeria, import licences are granted despite knowing that we can produce nearly double the amount of products needed in Nigeria and even export the surplus. Since January 2021, ECOWAS regulations have prohibited the import of highly contaminated diesel into the region,” Edwin mentioned.
However era the NMDPRA Eminent Government, Farouk Ahmed, was once reacting to Dangote, he denied all allegations of sabotage, declaring that it was once the Dangote diesel that had upper sulphur content material than the imported ones.
Ahmed had unhidden that the refinery, which were promoting diesel and gliding gasoline in Nigeria for months, had no longer been approved, declaring that it was once nonetheless on the pre-commissioning degree with 45 in step with cent of entirety.
The NMDPRA boss warned that Nigeria may no longer depend closely at the Dangote refinery for its gasoline provide.
In step with him, the refinery had asked the regulator to cancel giving import licences to alternative entrepreneurs so to be the one gasoline provider in Nigeria.
Talking about detail, Ahmed alleged, “So, on the subject of detail, these days the AGO detail on the subject of sulphur is the bottom so far as the West African requirement of fifty ppm is anxious.
“Dangote refinery and some modular refineries, like Waltersmith refinery and Aradel refinery, are producing between 650 to 1,200ppm (parts per million). So, in terms of quality, their product is much inferior to the imported quality.”
Reacting right through a excursion of the refinery via participants of the Space of Representatives led via the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, not too long ago, Dangote asserted that merchandise delicate on the global’s biggest unmarried teach refinery are of superb detail in comparison to imported equivalents and meet world requirements.
The speaker and alternative participants had seen the trying out of Automobile Fuel Oil from two petrol stations along the similar taken from the Dangote refinery.
The diesel samples had been procured from two filling stations related Eleko junction alongside the Lekki-Epe Freeway, Lagos, via the lawmakers.
The Dangote laboratory assessments had been mentioned to have unhidden that Dangote’s diesel had a sulphur content material of 87.6 ppm era the alternative two samples confirmed sulphur ranges exceeding 1,800 ppm and a couple of,000 ppm respectively.
Talking, Dangote emphasized that the findings had debunked claims made via Ahmed that imported diesel surpasses locally delicate merchandise.
“We create the most productive diesel in Nigeria. It’s disheartening that rather of safeguarding the marketplace, the regulator is undermining it. Our doorways are obvious for the regulator to habits assessments on our merchandise anytime; transparency is paramount to us. It might be really helpful for the regulator to exhibit its laboratory to the arena so Nigerians can examine. Our hobby is Nigeria first as a result of if Nigeria doesn’t develop, now we have restricted capability for enlargement.
Dangote argued that the imported merchandise being inspired via Ahmed have failed in assessments, announcing many of the importers have pretend certificate since the homeowners of the laboratories were instructed what to jot down.
Talking concerning the sulphur content material, he added, “I’m in reality shocked for someone to return and point out that we’ve got a evil detail; we and alternative modular refineries. I will be able to’t communicate of the detail of the modular refineries, however our personal nowadays is 87ppm and via Monday (July 23), we will be able to be at 50ppm, via the start of August, we will be able to be at 10ppm.
“All the test certificates people are busy flaunting around today are fake certificates. The demarketing of a company by a regulator that he is supposed to protect is very very unfortunate. We produce the best diesel in Nigeria and if the regulator wants, he can come any time to conduct a test.”
All over an interview with The PUNCH, the NMDPRA spokesperson, George Ene-Ita instructed our correspondent that there are about 15 engineers and scientists of the NMDPRA embedded within the refinery whose experiences would get to the company to substantiate the flow sulphur content material of Dangote’s diesel.
The regulator has but to form identified the record from its males since two weeks in the past, particularly because the feedback from the NMDPRA boss had been greeted with backlashes.
On the other hand, other laboratory effects surfaced on-line right through the weekend, alleging that diesel equipped to shops between April and July, unhidden that the sulphur content material in Dangote diesel went as much as as prime as 1200 ppm.
The net experiences mentioned that the gasoline, delivered in 32 batches, was once equipped to other depots of Drizzle Oil, AA Rano, TMDK Oil, Kashton, NIPCO, Sobaz, and alternative retail corporations.
It was once additionally alleged that two days upcoming the lawmakers’ talk over with, the Dangote refinery delivered a cargo of diesel containing 950 ppm of sulphur to AA Rano’s vault in Ijegun, Lagos, announcing the certificates of detail, dated July 21 was once accepted via an sovereign laboratory identify Intertek.
Presen reacting to this, an professional of the Dangote Team mentioned some folks had been looking to whip indisposed the refinery.
The professional, who pleaded anonymity as a result of he was once no longer accepted to talk with the clicking, described the record as falsehood.
“But you should know where this is coming from. It is false,” the professional mentioned
He added additional, “They are intentionally circulating the falsehood. They are bent on destroying us. All these are fake documents. They are intentionally circulating it to spoil our good name.”
The supply refused to say names, announcing Nigerians know the faces in the back of the net record.
The NMDPRA spokesperson may no longer be reached on the occasion of submitting this record.
Dangote refinery, which is meant to start out the sale of petrol in a single while, has were given the help of President Bola Tinubu, who has ordered the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Corporate Restricted to promote crude to it in naira.
CSOs talk
In a homogeneous building, a coalition of Civil Crowd Organisations has mentioned it might arrange a condition room to observe the compliance of NNPCL to the presidential directive to promote crude oil to Dangote refinery in naira.
Leaders of the 28 CSOs who had been on a facility excursion of the 650,000 bpd global’s biggest unmarried teach refinery in Lagos mentioned the disposition of NNPC and the regulatory businesses was once a sunny indication that they intentionally held indisposed the crowd’s refineries in order that they may proceed uploading petroleum merchandise.
Talking to the behalf of others, Solomon Adodo, of the Stand Up for A United Nigeria, mentioned what his team had observable was once a global magnificence facility and questioned how a regulatory company of the federal government may rush facets with importers of petroleum merchandise when an area refinery now produces the petroleum merchandise.
He mentioned the CSOs have concluded to petition the Presidency at the want to undertake the Dangote refinery as a countrywide asset that are meant to be impaired to disencumber the rustic from the shackles of importation of gasoline era it exports crude.
In a observation issued on Sunday via the refinery, Adodo mentioned, “Having long past spherical to look this global magnificence venture, we’re at a loss as to why the federal government may come to a decision to show in opposition to Nigerians on this way. However we aren’t too shocked given our week studies. Those that are making the most of our collective misery won’t need the Dangote refinery to paintings.
“We’re in a position to guard this facility with the entirety as civil population organizations. We aren’t talking on our behalf however to the behalf of all Nigerians and to the behalf of our place of origin. It leaves a lot to be desired how an company of presidency with oversight serve as to steer to develop this type of venture as this is able to now be disparaging the similar venture. That is too evil.
“We’ve observable for ourselves and now we have cleared all lack of certainty as to the of entirety of this refinery and the readiness to provide all our home wishes. We can disclose all of them. Any person who isn’t in a position to safeguard that Nigeria has a fresh hire of future should give method. Now this is a combat to complete.
“Going forward, we are going to set up a situation room to monitor the compliance of NNPC with the directive of Mr President that Dangote refinery would be supplied with crude in naira because we know that the enemies of the people would want to adopt another strategy to sabotage the presidential directive.”
International countries ask over Dangote
Talking era welcoming the crowd, Edwin described Dangote refinery as a price including facility as it might cancel the exportation of Nigeria’s crude and importation of completed merchandise and questioned why the federal government could be in opposition to this type of sight for Nigeria.
In step with him, many African international locations have minerals however they aren’t including price to their economies as a result of the ones minerals are exported uncooked and the completed merchandise are imported again into the rustic while vice versa will have to were the layout of the hour.
“That is what Dangote refinery seeks to proper, we did the similar within the cement and sugar sectors the place Nigeria was once a prominent importer of the ones merchandise, and with the approaching of Dangote prominent the backward integration programme of the federal government, others got here into the sphere and in combination Nigeria now exports cement to alternative international locations.
“What we want to do in the refinery, we have done it in other businesses, Nigeria used to be the biggest importer of sugar, we came in and changed the narrative. We led the backward integration scheme of the Federal Government, and we now produce sugar locally for domestic consumption and others have joined us. We did the same in cement by opening up the production plant and today Nigeria exports cement to other countries,” he mentioned.
On crude provide demanding situations, the Dangote professional mentioned, “We didn’t ask for any favour alternative than that we need to purchase crude to create. First they mentioned there was once disagree crude, then they mentioned we must pay some bucks above the prevalent crude marketplace worth. And it is a international marketplace the place you’ll observe crude costs anytime. We resorted to shopping for crude from Brazil and the USA. Then they mentioned we will have to no longer be pronouncing the cost of the goods.
“Even the US, the leading proponent of a free market economy, protects its local industries by imposing huge duties on from foreign imports just to protect local industries. This is a man that Saudi Aramco once approached to come and cite his refinery in Saudi Arabia, promising steady supply of crude. Abu Dahbi also invited him to do the same on their soil but he rejected it, insisting he would build at home. Now he did that, a facility that is supposed to add value to Nigeria’s economy is being frustrated.”
In step with him, Nigeria can simplest eat 45 in step with cent of the capability of the refinery era the extra 55 in step with cent can be exported and can carry foreign currencies into the rustic.