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NNPCL-Dangote Refineries rift: HOMEF Demands Transparency, Investigation of Claims on Import of Toxic Fuels
NNPCL-Dangote Refineries rift: HOMEF Demands Transparency, Investigation of Claims on Import of Toxic Fuels
By: Michael Mike
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has demanded transparency and an investigation into allegations of importing and foisting ‘dirty’ fuels on Nigerians.
HOMEF, in a statement on Wednesday, advocated this in reaction to the feud between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote Refineries, noting that the NNPCL’s inability to refine petroleum products has been an enormous shame and embarrassment to the nation.
The statement said over the decades, NNPCL’s poor performance has forced Nigeria into the vice grip of forces of exploitation of colonial proportions, making her the largest exporter of crude oil and, at the same time, the largest importer of refined products of dubious quality.
Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, in the statement, noted that the company has epitomised one of the worst that can be imagined of any raw material exporter post- colonial state anywhere in the world.
He explained that while HOMEF acknowledges the high ecological costs of the entire petroleum industry value chain, it regrets that the failure of the comatose NNPC refineries is a critical factor that has allowed toxic bush refineries to proliferate to fill the yawning gaps.
Bassey said: “The importation of refined petroleum products has equally foisted heavy economic pressures on the hapless citizens of Nigeria. The arrival of the Dangote Refinery has its own huge ecological baggage, especially regarding the plight of neighboring communities and the general environment. Besides, there are bigger issues related to the creation and operation of what has come to be known as economic zones of exemption.
“HOMEF is alarmed by the cloudy controversies around the Dangote Refinery. The role of the NNPC in the unfolding disputes highlights the opacity of the sector and the inbuilt boobytraps in the regulatory frameworks under which the sector operates. Nigeria entered the oil refining business shortly after independence, with the first refinery built in Port Harcourt to meet domestic needs and curb overreliance on importation.
“The Nigerian government acquired the refinery by successive increase of shareholding starting at 50% in 1965 and increased to 60% in 1972 and taking up sole ownership by 1978. The name also had a systematic shift from the Nigeria Petroleum Refining Company to NNPC Refinery, Port Harcourt.”
Bassey recalled that three other refineries were set up in response to the growing demand for refined products. They are Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, with 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity and commissioned in 1978; Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, with 110,000 bpd capacity, commissioned in 1980; and the New Port Harcourt Refinery with 150,000 bpd capacity commissioned in 1989. The total installed capacity of all four refineries was 445,000 bpd.
He said: “By the early 1990s, the military government at the time ordered the NNPC to close all its accounts and transfer them to the Central Bank of Nigeria. This arguably marked the beginning of the downward spiral in the performance of the refineries that once served the local petroleum needs and the contributory feedstock needs of other dependent industries.
“Successive “democratic” governments continued to fan the embers of this unproductive but self-serving arrangement, solidifying it with Bills that followed and passed by cronies hooded in different cloaks. The sad realities in the sector include poor governance, poor or non-existent turn around maintenance for the refineries, industrial-scale oil theft, and even the appointments to offices for political control as seen in having serving presidents appointing themselves as Ministers of Petroleum.”
Bassey noted that the conundrum of dependency on exporting raw crude oil and importing refined products, along with corrupt subsidy regimes, remains intractable to date.
According to the environmentalist, the Dangote Refinery’s 650,000 bpd capacity could boost Nigeria’s refining capacity and meet its domestic petroleum needs. He said that the news that Nigeria, through the NNPC Ltd, would have a 20% share in the refinery raised questions, including why the corporation could not focus on making its own refineries work.
He said: “Now we hear that the 20% investment stymied at 7.2% due to the inability of the supposedly profit-making company to meet its financial obligations on schedule. Before the recent closed-door meetings between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Dangote Refineries, there were insinuations and counter-insinuations suggesting an in-fighting. We hear of disputes over the quality of refined products and issues of whether full approvals have been obtained by the private refinery for it to even commence operations.”
Bassey quoted the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) as saying: “The refiners failed in operational approaches because there are operational standards for crude oil supply. These standards go along with international best practices. The local refiners will not put payment instruments in place as expected. They were not also revising delayed vessels at the right time. They will not fix the vessel to pick up the crude at the right time, or they will bring the wrong vessel specifications. These are operational inefficiencies on the part of the local refiners.”
Reacting to the situation, Bassey said: “It is time for the NNPC to come clear on the questions over the quality of products imported petroleum products as well as those coming out of the Dangote Refinery. Nigerians also deserve to know what volume of shares it holds in the refinery.
“The public deserves clarity about what is also going on with regard to subsidies on imported petroleum products since the purported elimination of subsidies provided one of the planks aiding the economic strangulation of the Nigerian peoples.”
Bassey also demanded a participatory social and environmental audit of all the country’s refineries and put in place environmental management plans to ensure the safety of fence-line communities in Lekki, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.
Also, HOMEF’s Fossil Politics Programme Manager Stephen Oduware said: “If anything is clear, it is that there are huge transparency questions over the sectoral regulatory frameworks and that the artificially created complexities orchestrated by the NNPCL have heaped an avoidable burden on the masses.”
HOMEF called on the federal government to ensure the operations of all its refineries and equally activate an audit of the unfolding crisis.
“The government should also ensure a depoliticization of the petroleum sector. Another important step will be to ensure that the president of Nigeria does not double as the head of the Petroleum Resources Ministry.”
NNPCL-Dangote Refineries rift: HOMEF Demands Transparency, Investigation of Claims on Import of Toxic Fuels
NTAC DG Commends CIFCFIN for Giant Strides on 2nd Founders’ Day
By: Michael Mike
The Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has commended the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) for its remarkable achievements since its establishment, describing the Institute’s progress as “giant strides”.
The commendation was made during CIFCFIN’s 2nd Founders’ Day celebration, which took place,Thursday,in Abuja,and also featured the induction of new members, professional practitioners, and Fellows of the Institute; in addition to a few Awards to some deserving individuals.
The event,which was chaired by Hon. Justice Moore Abraham Aseimo of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,had in attendance several dignitaries,including the CIFCIN Founder and Pioneer President,
Dr. Iliyasu Buba Gashinbaki;Alh. Mairiga Aliyu Katuga,Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as Dr. Isa Egah Salifu, Registrar/CEO and Secretary to the Council of CIFCFIN.
Others included the
former EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu; representative of the Development Bank of Nigeria;representative of the Inspector General of Police as well as the representative of the Corps Marshall of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC),among many other senior officials of Government and stakeholders of the Institute.
In his remarks,Rt.Hon. Buba expressed pride in the milestones attained by CIFCFIN, noting that the Institute’s growth reflects a strong commitment to professionalism in forensics and fraud investigation,both of which are critical to Nigeria’s fight against corruption and economic crime.
Among those honoured at the event were the NTAC DG,whose role as the sponsor of the Bill for the establishment of the Institute was applauded by all.
The ceremony concluded with an official photo session with the Institute’s leadership and invited guests.
End
Christian Genocide: Information Minister Asks CSOs to Correct Misinformation About Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has appealed to Civil Society Organisations to help correct the misrepresentations of Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom.
The Minister made the appeal at the 25th Anniversary of ActionAid in Abuja.
He said there is an urgent need for CSOs in the country to counter the narratives by applying evidence-based insights into the Nigerian situation.
Idris while addressing the misconceptions about Nigeria abroad, insisted that the country is not a violator of religious freedom and reaffirmed that such freedoms are clearly guaranteed in the constitution.
The minister who acknowledged security challenges even as he emphasized that government efforts are yielding progress, cautioned against narratives that mischaracterise Nigeria and strain its relations with its partners, particularly the United States.
He admitted lthe government’s responsibility to protect citizens, especially children, stating that “our children must be safe in their schools, safe in their communities, and safe in their homes” and highlighted President Tinubu’s recent declaration of a national emergency on security.
He revealed that the emergency measures include new recruitment into security agencies, support for state-level security outfits, and a push for legislative action towards establishing state police.
He described the declaration as a turning point in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
He called on CSOs to deepen their support for open governance, media freedom, digital literacy, and community development, and affirmed that ActionAid’s contributions in these areas remain “complementary and invaluable” to national progress.
The Minister who was the Chairman of ActionAid Nigeria 25 years anniversary celebration commended AAN for its action, service, and transformative work across the country.
He said, “For a quarter of a century, ActionAid has taken development to the frontlines, empowering women and girls, strengthening education, improving healthcare, advocating for governance reforms, supporting communities during crises, and amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable.”
He noted that ActionAid must be praised for its innumerable responses to challenging humanitarian situations and grassroots empowerment work that have shaped policy and community development in profound and measurable ways in Nigeria. “Today, we gather to honour this legacy and to look toward the next chapter.”
The Minister said: “I am equally pleased to unveil the ActionAid building prototype, a strong signal of organisational growth and long-term presence in Nigeria. This forward-looking investment reflects ActionAid’s commitment to deepening its contribution to our nation over the next 25 years and beyond. These milestones deserve our collective applause.”
In his remarks, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, said the struggle of AAN in the last 25 years is to help contain poverty, a struggle he said has not been of convenience but of conviction.
He said: “25 years ago, ActionAid Nigeria began with a simple but radical proposition that poverty is not natural.
And that exclusion is not a condition to be managed by the system. But we have to dismantle it. The true development does not happen when charity is displaced.
“Charity may be rights, give things, that’s charity. But when power is shifted from privilege to the marginalised, from silence to participation, from oppression to agency, our journey has never been one of convenience, it has been one of conviction.
“We have chosen to take sides with women denied their rights, with youth denied their voices, and with communities denied access to opportunities they deserve.
“Because we know that to end poverty, we must confront the structural injustice that creates it. “So for the past 25 years, we have stood shoulder to shoulder with people living in poverty and exclusion. Not as saviours, we don’t see ourselves as saviours, but as allies who are working together.”
Christian Genocide: Information Minister Asks CSOs to Correct Misinformation About Nigeria
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi: VP Shettima Charges Young Scholars To Preserve His Message Of Tolerance
By: Michael Mike
Says nation has lost one of the last great titans of Islamic scholarship
Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged emerging Islamic scholars across Nigeria and Africa to preserve and propagate the enduring message of tolerance, dialogue, and inclusivity exemplified by the late renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.
He specifically said that the late Tijjaniyya leader’s commitment to dialogue and inclusivity represents the true heritage of Islam that must guide future generations.
The Vice President gave the charge on Friday after attending the burial ceremony of the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi in Bauchi, Bauchi State, where he described the passage of the cleric as a monumental loss not only to Nigeria but to the global Muslim Ummah.
“This nation has lost a colossus—an institution and one of the last great titans of Islamic scholarship. We call on our emerging scholars to embrace the path of dialogue, moderation, accommodation, and inclusivity, because this is the true heritage of Islam—not fanaticism, not extremism,” VP Shetimma said.
Praying for the repose of the late cleric’s soul, the Vice President said, “May Allah grant his soul eternal rest and reward him with Aljannatul Firdaus. May Allah grant his family and millions of followers the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
Also speaking at the burial, the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, described Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi as a towering figure whose legacy transformed Islamic education and uplifted countless families.
“He made remarkable contributions to development and established a strong tradition of Qur’anic research and scholarship. He mentored so many people. We have lost a father, a guardian, a teacher, and a colossus,” the governor said.
Similarly, the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, described the day as deeply sorrowful, not only for the family of the cleric but for all Nigerians and the entire Muslim Ummah across the world.
Yusuf said Sheikh Bauchi was widely known as an exceptional Islamic scholar who taught Qur’an and Hadith to hundreds of millions of people, especially his family and members of the Tijjaniyya order.
“May God grant his soul eternal rest and give the nation the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” he added.
Also speaking, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar, expressed gratitude to God for the cleric’s life, describing it as well spent. He said the late scholar would be remembered as a distinguished scholar and leader.
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi: VP Shettima Charges Young Scholars To Preserve His Message Of Tolerance
NTAC DG Commends CIFCFIN for Giant Strides on 2nd Founders’ Day
Christian Genocide: Information Minister Asks CSOs to Correct Misinformation About Nigeria
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi: VP Shettima Charges Young Scholars To Preserve His Message Of Tolerance
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