The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has denied the claims by the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that some officials of the NNPC have blending plants in Malta.
Kyari, who stated on Tuesday, 23 July, 2024 while reacting to claim made by Dangote, said he does not own a blending plant outside Nigeria.
Amid the crisis surrounding his $20bn refinery, Dangote had said: “Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing”.
Reacting in a post on his X handle, Kyari said he had been inundated with calls from family members and friends, asking if he truly owns a blending plant in Malta.
Kyari stated that he does not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world with the exception of a local mini agric venture.
He also said he is not aware of any employee of the NNPC, that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.
“I am inundated by enquiries from family members, friends and associates on the public declaration by the President of Dangote Group that some NNPC workers have established a blending plant in Malta thereby impeding procurements from local production of Petroleum products.
“To clarify the allegations regarding the blending plant, I do not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world with the exception of a local mini Agric venture, neither am I aware of any employee of the NNPC, that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.
“A blending plant in Malta or any part of the world has no influence over NNPC’s business operations and strategic actions.”
The NNPC boss threatened to sanction any official of the NNPC involved in such acts if they truly exist.
“For further assurance, our compliance sanction grid shall apply to any NNPC employee who is established to be involved in doing so if availed and I strongly recommend that such individuals be declared public and be made known to relevant government security agencies for necessary actions in view of the grave implications for national energy security,” he stated.
Dangote has been speaking up following allegations by the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, that the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had higher sulphur content than imported ones; a claim Dangote described as an attempt to demarket his refinery.
Ahmed also said the country would continue to import fuel to stop the Dangote monopoly.
