The chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, Bubaraye Dakolo, has expressed support for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, describing local refining as the only sustainable path for Nigeria to fully harness its oil and gas resources.
In a statement on Friday, Dakolo said the Niger Delta takes pride in the refinery’s role in enabling domestic crude oil processing after decades of dependence on imports.
He noted that both the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole stand to gain more when the nation’s oil and gas resources are refined locally and marketed globally.
“We in the Niger Delta have a sense of fulfilment that, after years of not making the best of our natural resources, God has raised a man like Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Refinery to end distortions in the downstream industry by making local refining of our resources a possibility,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions of monopoly, stressing that the sector remains open to any investor prepared to commit long-term capital.
“It is preposterous for any organisation or individual to accuse Alhaji Dangote or the Dangote Refinery of being a monopoly.
“Anybody or a group of persons can enter it. But because it takes time to recoup capital, unpatriotic Nigerians prefer the easy money of importing refined products rather than investing in local refining,” he said.
Dakolo also praised the company’s move to import compressed natural gas-powered vehicles for nationwide distribution of refined products, describing it as “a highly commendable initiative that must not be hindered by selfish interests.”
The monarch stated that “no individual or corporation has contributed as significantly to stabilising petrol prices over the past year as Alhaji Dangote and the Dangote Refinery.”
He added, “No individual or corporation has been as responsible for driving petrol prices down as Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Refinery in the last year. In doing that, they have caused succour to occur in society.
“As such, the Niger Delta gives him the right hand of fellowship, even as we appeal to groups and individuals not to sabotage this lofty idea.”
