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Dangote Refinery Withdraws N100bn Suit, Claims No Fresh Case against NNPC, Others
Dangote Refinery Withdraws N100bn Suit: The Dangote refinery yesterday said it had no new court case against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) or any of its partners, explaining that the N100 billion suit against the national oil company was an old matter.
Dangote Refinery Withdraws N100bn Suit
The chief branding and communications officer, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement, yesterday, said “Dangote Refinery Withdraws N100bn Suit. This is an old issue that started in June and culminated in a matter being filed on September 6, 2024.
Chiejina said currently, the parties are in discussion since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on Crude Oil and Refined Products Sales in Naira Initiative, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He said, “We have made tremendous progress in that regard and events have overtaken this development.
“No party has been served with court processes and there is no intention of doing so. We have agreed to put a halt to the proceedings.”
“It is important to stress that no orders have been made and there are no adverse effects on any party. We understand that once the matter comes up in January 2025, we will be in a position to formally withdraw the matter in court.”
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Dangote Refinery Washes Hands Off Suit
This development came as a response to viral reports which claimed that Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE told a Federal High Court in Abuja to void import licenses issued to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, and four other companies.
The plaintiff had contended that the defendants’ import licenses should be voided because those companies were already producing the imported petroleum products without shortfalls.
In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, Dangote Refinery is also seeking N100 billion in damages against the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for allegedly continuing to issue import licenses to NNPCL, Matrix, and other companies for the importation of petroleum products such as Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet Fuel (aviation turbine fuel) into Nigeria “despite the production of AGO and Jet-A1 that exceeds the current daily consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria by the Dangote Refinery.”
According to Nairametrics, in its originating summons dated September 6, 2024, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, asked the court to declare that NMDPRA is allegedly in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.
He stated that such licenses should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.
He also urged the court to declare that NMDPRA violates its statutory responsibilities under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for not encouraging local refineries such as Dangote Refinery.
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