From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The executive council and members of the West African Students’ Union (WASU) have called for a nationwide backing of the Dangote Refinery to eliminate reliance on imported refined products.
The executive members, led by Pillah Romans, made the call in a statement in Makurdi, yesterday.
The students’ union commending Alhaji Aliko Dangote for his visionary establishment of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, describing it as a groundbreaking development that would transform the petroleum industry in Africa and across the globe.
The students, who noted that the refinery was a groundbreaking investment that would meet 100 percent of the country’s refined products needs and have a surplus for export, said there was a need to support it to source crude oil locally.
The union lamented that over the years, Nigeria has suffered a crisis in the petroleum industry depending on imports for its refined petroleum needs, occasioned among other things, by a breakdown of the refining sector despite being a large holder of crude oil.
“This has led to significant disruptions in the supply chain, scarcity, and loss of precious income. Today, the country is indeed rising from slumber to take its rightful place in the West Africa sub-region.
“The value chain in this gigantic refinery is a long stretch that has hundreds of thousands as beneficiaries in both direct and indirect job creation. We hope that the beginning of operations would also reduce the high price of petroleum products in the country and elsewhere.”
WASU also called on President Bola Tinubu to direct Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to desist from frustrating the efforts of Dangote Refinery in getting crude oil internally for smooth production of oil and gas within the country.
It appealed to the president to ensure that the company gets crusade oil internally as this will alleviate the burden and hardship faced by the average Nigerians.
WASU who emphasised the need for Nigeria to refine its crude locally, made the call during a visit to the Dangote Refinery in Ibeju Lekki.
“We, therefore, unequivocally call for the immediate sack of Farouk Ahmed. It is now clear that he as the CEO of NMDPRA is responsible for issuing import licenses to his cronies outside the government to continue to import sub-standard refined petroleum products into the country.”
They appreciated the 10th National Assembly, good-spirited individuals and associations, who have been rallying support for Dangote, saying WASU had come to drum up support for Dangote Refinery.
While also commending the Vice President of Gas and Oil at Dangote Industries Limited, Dr. Devakumar Edwin, for his commitment to sourcing and refining local crude for Nigeria’s benefit, WASU warned that if the denial continues, they would not hesitate to publicly name and protest against the identified cabals sabotaging the nation’s efforts for self-sufficiency in refined products.