The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has disputed claims by the Dangote Refinery that it alone can meet Nigeria’s petroleum product needs.
Dangote Refinery spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, had on Tuesday assured that the country would not experience fuel scarcity despite the ongoing strike by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
“There is no fuel shortage, everything is going on,” Chiejina said.
However, DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Femi Adewole, argued that depot owners and marketers remain the primary suppliers of petrol in the country.
“We, the depot owners, have issues with the Dangote Refinery. For instance, we are still not getting coastal allocations from the Refinery.
“We still supply about 68 per cent of the products to the country. We import these cargoes, not because we want to, but because we are not getting the attention we want from Dangote Refinery.
“Right now, you may say Dangote has enough stock to go round, but if Dangote doesn’t sell to depot owners, we have to import because we have to remain in business.
“For instance, take the figures for May, about 1.7 billion litres of PMS were supplied to the country, but Dangote Refinery supplied about 24 per cent.
“In June, about 1.4 billion litres were supplied, and Dangote Refinery did about 20 per cent. The volume that is being supplied is done by DAPPMAN members and other depots,” he explained.
Adewole further stressed that marketers prefer to source from Dangote Refinery but require fair pricing.
“What we are saying is that let’s have a framework where DAPPMAN members can approach Dangote, and he will feel free to sell to us.
“A situation where Dangote sells to international traders at ₦65 per litre lower than what he sells to us is not fair. Dangote sells to us at ₦45 higher than what he sells at his gantry, so how do we stay in business?
“We want to buy from Dangote. Dangote is the pride of the nation. We would rather buy from his refinery than source from outside, but if he is not giving us the product, we definitely have to stay in business, we have to sell the product and sell at the best price possible.”
On the NUPENG dispute with Dangote Refinery, Adewole attributed the crisis to restrictions on workers’ unionisation.
“We got here because the management of Dangote Refinery refused to allow union activities within its operations.
“ILO and the Nigerian constitution allow the Nigerian workers to unionise freely without interference, and it’s not compulsory either.
“The managements of the established unions approached the management of Dangote Refinery to bring in the workers into the union (NUPENG and PTD), but unfortunately, the management of the Refinery at that time refused.
“The workers made overtures to the management of the Refinery several times, but for the fact that he did give get positive feedback, they had to take the step that they took.
“But good that the Refinery has approved their request, but the issues are not fully resolved as it concerns the downstream sector,” he added.
NUPENG commenced its strike on Monday, alleging that Dangote Refinery was employing new drivers on the condition that they would not join the union — claims that have been denied by the company.
