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Speaker Abbas visits Dangote refinery over NMDPRA products quality comments
Speaker Abbas visits Dangote refinery over NMDPRA products quality comments
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Saturday led a delegation to the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos State.
The group arrived at the refinery, situated in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, around 11 a.m. and was welcomed by Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, along with senior company executives.
During their visit, the lawmakers toured the 650,000 barrels-per-day facility and discussed the plans to commence petrol supply next month. This visit follows a previous tour by the Senate leadership, headed by Senate President Godswill Akpaio, in June.
The visit occurs shortly after Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA), raised concerns about the high sulphur content in diesel produced by the refinery.
Ahmed reported that the diesel contains approximately 1,000 parts per million of sulphur, which is significantly higher than the 50 ppm standard required in West Africa.
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Ahmed also stated that the Federal Government will continue to import petroleum products, as relying solely on the Dangote refinery would be impractical. He noted that the refinery, which has been supplying diesel and aviation fuel within Nigeria for several months, has not yet been licensed and remains in the pre-commissioning phase with about 45% completion.
Addressing media reports about attempts to hinder the refinery’s operations, Ahmed clarified, “The claim by some media houses that there were steps to scuttle the Dangote refinery is not so. The Dangote refinery is still in the pre-commissioning stage. It has not been licensed yet; we haven’t licensed them yet.”
The NMDPRA Chief cautioned against over-dependence on the Dangote refinery for national fuel supply, highlighting that the refinery had requested a halt on issuing import licenses to other fuel marketers. “We cannot rely heavily on one refinery to feed the nation,” he said. “Dangote is requesting that we should suspend or stop importation of all petroleum products, especially AGO and direct all marketers to the refinery; that is not good for the nation in terms of energy security. And that is not good for the market, because of monopoly.”
Commenting on the quality of the refinery’s output, Ahmed remarked, “In terms of quality, currently, the AGO quality in terms of sulphur is the lowest as far as the West African requirement of 50 ppm is concerned. Dangote refinery and some modular refineries, like Waltersmith refinery and Aradel refinery, are producing between 650 to 1,200 ppm. So, in terms of quality, their product is much more inferior to the imported quality.”
This visit by the House of Representatives’ leadership underscores the ongoing scrutiny and discussions surrounding the Dangote refinery’s role in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Speaker Abbas visits Dangote refinery over NMDPRA products quality comments
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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister
Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.
Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.
The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.
He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.
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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”
Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”
He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.
Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.
Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister
News
BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS
BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.
This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.
This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.
On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.
BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS
News
Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures
Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.
The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.
Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.
The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.
These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.
A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.
“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.
“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.
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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.
“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.
“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.
Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.
“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.
“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.
A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.
“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.
The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.
Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures
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