The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Saturday said the clarification by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) on Dangote refinery petroleum “is well noted and accepted” and that it acted out of a patriotic zeal.
MURIC in a statement by its founder/executive director, Prof Ishaq Akintola, noted that it’s earlier statement cautioning the NNPC “was issued in good faith and actually intended to elicit NNPC’s reaction”.
It stressed that the NNPCL ’s clarification has underlined the need for more discussion between Dangote Refinery, NNPCL itself and other stakeholders with a view to reducing the price of petrol, promoting a robust economic flow and enhancing a more efficient supply of the product in order to reduce hardship for poor Nigerians
“Our attention has been drawn to the rejoinder issued by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) which was dated, Saturday, 7th September, 2024, captioned, ‘NNPCL Not The Sole Offtaker; Market Open to Lower Prices From Any Domestic Refinery’.We wish to assert clearly that MURIC did not say anything new.”
It added, “Our allegations were mere repetitions of information about pricing and sole marketing which was already in the public domain before we spoke. This is enough to alarm any patriotic Nigerian and the spontaneous reaction of independent marketers to this story being enough evidence of them opposing the idea.
“Some sections of civil society immediately declared their preparation for confrontation with the Federal Government over this development”
MURIC stressed, “This was what ignited MURIC’s interest. Smoke is still rising from the ashes of #EndSARS riots. The scars of #EndBadGovernance protests are still fresh and visible. MURIC is keen on a stable political environment and a virile economy. It was for these reasons that we set the machinery in motion to intervene”.
It maintained, “However, NNPC’s clarification is well noted and accepted. In particular, it is interesting to note that NNPC has stated that it is not the sole off taker of Dangote products. As laymen in the oil industry, we understand this statement to mean that NNPC will not be the sole marketer of Dangote’s petroleum products. The media equally interpreted it in the same way.
“This has been a major concern of MURIC because we believe that it will not be in the best interest of poor Nigerians for the products of the only available refinery in the country to be in the hands of a single marketer. Another good clarification made in the NNPC statement is that market will be left ‘open to lower prices from any domestic refinery’.”
“MURIC assures NNPC and the Nigerian public that our statement was issued in good faith and actually intended to elicit NNPC’s reaction. This informed the way we hashtagged NNPC in our original statement issued yesterday, Friday, 6th September, 2024. This outcome is a ‘win-win’ situation for all. This is what we set out to achieve.”
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