A cabal comprising petroleum importers and officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is working to frustrate domestic refineries, including the Dangote Refinery, from meeting Nigeria’s PMS consumption demand, a group, Concerned Nigerians, has alleged.
The civic group said the alleged plot involves a plan to stop the supply of crude oil to domestic refineries, including the Dangote Refinery.
Concerned Nigerians, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Obinna Francis, on Monday, said the plot is masterminded by a cabal within the NNPCL, which is working with perrol importers.
The alleged plot is also said to have the backing of some officials of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The statement warned that if successful, the plot would have far-reaching consequences, including creating a shortage of refined products, which would lead to fuel importation on a large scale.
“We are shocked that the cabal in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is working with importers of fake petrol to deny local refineries of crude oil supply.
“Such a sinister plot can only be driven by a desire for Nigeria to return to the era of petrol importation and even the reintroduction of subsidy. This is because cutting off crude oil supply to domestic refineries is a recipe for creating a shortage of refined products, which the country would be forced to import.
“The members of the cabal, working through certain officials of NNPCL, have been manipulating their colleagues in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which has responsibility for overseeing the supply of crude oil to refineries in Nigeria.
“Their plot includes sabotaging exploration and distribution infrastructure to justify the planned refusal to cut off crude supplies. This unholy alliance has the support of individuals who have been angling for a regime change.
“Our suspicion is that while the NNPCL/NUPRC cabal pursue the monetary gains of truncating the steady supply of refined products, their political wing anticipates that a disruption in refining capacity would lead to petrol scarcity, drive fuel prices up and hike food prices with the attendant anger against the government of the day. Their desire is to weaponize such public anger into anti-government protests that would bring the administration down,” the statement said.
The group called on President Bola Tibubu, and the security agencies, including the DSS, to intervene by ensuring that no one in NNPCL, NUPRC, or any other concerned agency undermines the achievements recorded in the sector.
It will be recalled that recently, there were reports that the NNPCL intends to adjust its crude allocation to Dangote Refinery following the coming onstream of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries. The Port Harcourt and Warri refineries currently operate at a combined capacity of about 135,000 barrels per day.
Under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude initiative, the NNPCL currently allocates 300,000 barrels of crude per day to Dangote Refinery.