The Dangote Group has dismissed claims that it sold Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) at N898 per litre, describing the allegation as “misleading and mischievous”.
In a press release issued on Sunday evening, Anthony Chiejina, Chief Branding and Communications Officer of the Group, stated that the claim seeks to undermine the company’s efforts in addressing Nigeria’s energy crisis.
According to Chiejina, the statement attributed to NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, is aimed at derailing the progress achieved towards alleviating energy insufficiency and insecurity. “Our attention has been drawn to a statement attributed to NNPCL spokesperson, Mr Olufemi Soneye, that we sell our PMS at N898 per litre to the NNPCL. This statement is both misleading and mischievous, deliberately aimed at undermining the milestone achievement recorded today, September 15, 2024, towards addressing energy insufficiency and insecurity, which has bedevilled the economy in the past 50 years,” the statement read.
Chiejina clarified that the current stock of crude sold to NNPC was procured in dollars, with significant savings compared to existing import prices. He assured Nigerians of the availability of quality petroleum products, stating, “With this action, there will be petrol in every local government area of the country regardless of their remote nature. We assure Nigerians of availability of quality petroleum products and putting an end to the endemic fuel scarcity in the country.”
The Dangote Group’s clarification comes ahead of the commencement of the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which will begin on October 1, 2024. The company has urged Nigerians to disregard the malicious statement and await a formal announcement on pricing from the committee.
