By Edna -UCLIQ
DANGOTE REFINERY SET TO BEGIN PETROL SALES AFTER MULTIPLE DELAYS
Dangote Refinery is close to releasing its Premium Motor Spirit, popularly referred to as petrol, into the market.
A source close to the refinery confided in correspondent that it was putting finishing touches to the distribution arrangement.
The Federal Government was behind the sale and distribution of the PMS. According to the source, NNPC Ltd had become the sole distributor of Dangote fuel.
For the umpteenth time, Dangote Group has announced that supplies of petrol will start this September, after several missed deadlines.
Initially, Dangote had said supplies would commence in May. That deadline was missed.
Subsequently, the date for the commencement of supplies was moved first to June, then to July and later to August, each time postponed on account of disruptions in crude oil supplies.
The disruptions have resulted from a complex situation involving the Nigerian government.
Sometime along the line, the sale of crude oil by Nigeria to the refinery ran into hitches.
But eventually, the FEC approved the proposal for NNPC Limited to sell crude to Dangote and other refineries in local currency.
This is not the first time there have been accusations of oil majors frustrating local petroleum supply to Dangote.
Such accusations included overpricing and claims of non-availability, which then forced the refinery to resort to the international market for oil supplies. This has led to expensive imports from countries such as Brazil and the US.
Aliko Dangote alleged that some NNPC employees in Nigeria and oil dealers had established a blending factory in Malta.
According to him, this was disrupting the refinery from functioning effectively to produce petrol.
These lingering challenges underscore the complexities and controversies of the Dangote Refinery in its bid to start its petrol distribution.
