Marketers seek Tinubu’s intervention in NMDPRA, Dangote face-off

Some oil and gas marketers have called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently resolve the ongoing trade war in the downstream petroleum sector to avert further issues.

The marketers made this known while reacting to the current face-off between the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, and the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Dangote had on Sunday accused Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said was undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.

Dangote also accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.

Dangote alleged that Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several millions of dollars.

The business mogul said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.

Ahmed, in a statement on Wednesday, said he would not engage in public exchanges over the matter.

Speaking, the National President of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Maigandi Garima, called for a quick intervention by the federal government to tackle the matter.

NMDPRA CEO denies responding to Dangote’s allegations

Garima stated that such war was not needed in the industry, saying it could erode confidence being built in the sector in the international space.

He called the attention of the government for a dialogue between the parties, to have an extensive discussion towards settling the dispute.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) also condemned the situation and called for urgent intervention by Tinubu.

The PETROAN National President, Dr Billy Gillis-Harry, who frowned at the development, said it was capable of discouraging potential foreign investors and eroding confidence in Nigeria’s regulatory institutions.

Gillis-Harry disclosed that the association, at its emergency ordinary national general meeting held on Monday, passed a vote of confidence on NMDPRA.

According to him, the decision followed the innovative reforms, strategic governance, and regulatory clarity introduced by the NMDPRA in the Nigerian downstream petroleum sector.

He said these reforms and interventions had significantly improved operational efficiency, transparency, and healthy competition in the industry.

The Star