The House of Representatives has announced that it has taken action to settle the current conflict between Dangote Refinery and certain Nigerian oil sector participants.
Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), spoke to a press briefing in Lagos at the conclusion of a three-day retreat over the weekend. He expressed the lawmakers’ concern about the ongoing conflict between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the oil unions, including the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
According to reports, the parties involved have been embroiled in a string of disputes around worker appointments and unionization.
However, Ugochinyere stated that the House of Representatives Committee is trying to find a practical solution and has received submissions from various parties.
He emphasized that the parliamentarians will make sure they are led by what is beneficial for the country and that the disputes must not be let to interfere with oil services.
The congressman from Imo cautioned about the risk of deterring foreign investment in the country’s oil industry.
“We will be guided by what is best for the country, and we have received a lot of submissions from various stakeholders in this disagreement.” Ultimately, we prayed for Nigeria to have a working refinery, and today it does.
“We have investigated the continuous conflict between the tanker drivers, oil merchants, and Dangote. The downstream industry may become unstable if these problems are not adequately addressed.
Therefore, he said, “we must make sure that we don’t give the impression that could deter other investors who are willing to put millions of dollars into the sector from feeling confident about the safety of their investment as we try to balance trade and other competitive interests.”
Ugochinyere also revealed that the committee has started a new probe into the refinery upgrade and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) purchase of OVH Energy Marketing’s downstream assets.
“This probe is different from the last one. In order to find out what actually happened during the OVH acquisition process, the House has ordered the Downstream Committee to conduct a new inquiry.
Examining the money paid, the specifics of the purchase contract, the assets involved, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged formation of a new business by former OVH managers that subsequently purchased OVH itself are all part of this.
“The integrity and transparency of the entire transaction are seriously questioned, as those same individuals are also accused of having taken on leadership roles within NNPC Retail,” he stated.
