The House of Representatives urged the federal government to mandate the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Dangote Refinery to allow independent marketers to lift petrol from the Dangote Refinery.
It also mandated the NNPCL to reveal the price it sells crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and also mandated the Dangote Refinery to reveal the price it sells PMS to the NNPCL to ensure transparency.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the urgent need to allow independent marketers to offtake /lift PMS from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery moved at the plenary on Thursday by Hon. Oboku Oforji.
He explained that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery began operation in its 650, 000bpd integrated refinery on the 15th of September 2024, having the NNPCL as the sole off taker.
The lawmaker noted that recently, the major marketers have been given access to lift the product by the NNPCL.
Oforji said they must commend the Dangote Group and congratulate Nigerians as this is no mean feat considering the fact that the country has been battling for decades with refining crude without success.
He added that by this feat, Nigeria is driving towards energy self-sufficiency, cost and foreign exchange savings, meeting the increasing demand for fuels, attraction of foreign capital investment, generation of Forex through export of finished product, among others.
Oforji stressed that in view of the high demand by millions of Nigerians for PMS, and the ordeal they go through to get it, NNPCL should allow independent marketers to lift the product from the Dangote refinery.
He was of the opinion that allowing independent marketers, major marketers, along with NNPCL to lift from the Dangote Refinery would lead to competition, availability of the product, hence reduction in the price of PMS.
The lawmaker expressed worry that NNPCL and the Major Marketers as exclusive off takers, spells monopoly which was tantamount to greed.
He said this was the same NNPCL that has failed to manage our crude and refineries for decades in the past, adding that late MKO Abiola of blessed memory, in a viral video, some years ago lamented that the NNPCL lacks transparency and accountability.
Oforji said allowing the NNPCL and Major Marketers to lift PMS from the refinery to the exclusion of Independent Marketers, is not good enough.
He emphasised that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria’s (IPMAN) representatives have expressed fears that it mught be forced to resort to fuel imports to sustain their businesses.
The lawmaker said If this monopoly was not nipped in the bud, the suffering of Nigerians occasioned by the scarcity of PMS would continue and the implication on the economy would be unprecedented.
The House resolved: “Urge the federal government to mandate the NNPCL and the Dangote Refinery to allow independent marketers to lift PMS from the Dangote Refinery.
“Urge the management of the Dangote Refinery to build, acquire or partner to get Tank Farms or depot across the geo-political zones in the country, to ease the accessibility of petroleum products to the people.
“Mandate the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to reveal the price it sells crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and also mandate the Dangote Refinery to reveal the price it sells PMS to the NNPCL to ensure transparency.”