Former Governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday recommended death penalty for economic saboteurs attempting to frustrate Dangote Refinery and push Nigerians into further hardship.
The senator representing Edo North has also hinted that the Nigerian Senate is seeking to review the contentious Petroleum Industry Act.
This is even as former Director-General of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr Sam Amadi, warned against being pessimistic and praying for the downfall of a country to spite its leadership.
The duo featured as guest speakers at Thursday’s maiden edition of Prof Emeka Umerah’s public lecture in Abuja.
The media has been awash recently with news on the frustration and difficulties being experienced by Dangote Refinery, one of Africa’s largest oil plants, in securing local crude oil in the country.
On June 23, the Vice President in charge of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, also accused International Oil Companies in the country of doing everything to frustrate the survival of the company’s refinery and petrochemicals.
Edwin lamented that the IOCs were deliberately frustrating the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the premium above the market value, thereby forcing it to look towards the United States for assistance.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has since denied involvement in the alleged sabotage.
But Oshiomhole believed the management of Dangote was right, stressing that it was why the Senate is seeking to take a second look at the PIB to review it.
The senator said the act of frustrating a Nigerian plant like Dangote by local crude companies is an act of economic sabotage that should be met with the death penalty.
He said, “So, with all the funfair and celebration of Dangote Refinery that, for once, we now have a Nigerian who has initiated and built one of the world’s biggest refineries, Nigeria’s crude oil is still being exported while Dangote is denied some allocations. They prefer to import it to Europe and leave Dangote to import its crude from America into Nigeria.
“Those guys deserve to be hanged. If we don’t hang them, they will hang all of us. What it takes to hang them will require a president with extraordinary courage. They are importing diesel even at a time when the CBN is saying there is too much pressure on our imports. President Tinubu celebrated the achievement (refinery) because it was his dream to create a free trade zone in that part of Lagos, which Dangote now took advantage of to locate his factory. What he saw as a governor between 1999 and 2007 was what they built.
“It is the product of his work that Dangote Refinery now located in Lagos can satisfy the Nigerian market. Yet, some Nigerians who joined us in lamenting (fuel hike) are the ones importing low-quality diesel prohibited in Europe. They are bringing in diesel that will pollute our environment, destroy our engines, and use our scarce foreign exchange to pay for it. Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery in Lagos is in a position to produce diesel and even announced a reduction of the price.
“Can you believe Nigeria produces the oil that multinationals refuse to sell to Dangote? And we have a government that is even appealing and urging them that you must sell. Excuse me, we have a lot to do. We need a balance of some madness and ruthlessness.”
Continuing, Oshiomhole emphasised that it shouldn’t come to anybody as a surprise that many of those holding the country to ransom are Nigerians, who are domiciled in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The former governor said it is high time Nigeria borrowed a leaf from China and started meting out capital punishment on economic saboteurs, otherwise, the citizens will wake up one day and discover they no longer have a country.
According to him, the challenge of pumping irrecoverable millions of dollars into fixing the refineries has persisted right from the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to date.
“If you look at the numbers and what NNPC has spent between when President Obasanjo sold out the refineries, for those of you who have some memory, you will be shocked. The NNPC persuaded Yar’Adua, who took over from Obasanjo that they could run the refinery and needed $800m. Between that time and now, they spent over $10bn.
“Port Harcourt refinery is not working. Every minister has come to set a new date. It is only in Nigeria, you have several birthdays for a person. And then, a new minister comes and says, ‘I have done a review.’ They carry out new tasks and fix a new date. Now we have a refinery built by Nigeria and they want to destroy it. This is why we will revisit the Act and review it.
“Just yesterday (Wednesday), we had a debate and passed a resolution on the floor of the Senate. You can’t have a sovereign company under a sovereign nation that is not accountable to the people. No, you cannot be bigger than the president. If we can interrogate our president and harass him on television, who the hell is that appointee who is above the law? So, they are importing these things so that Dangote Refinery will eventually not prosper.
“But these Nigerians who put themselves first before the country are not interested. They live here in Abuja, unknown to ballot and not scrutinized by the Nigerian electorates. Their names don’t appear in any newspaper. You (Nigerians) will abuse the president, yet he has no knowledge about what is going on because he has saddled people with the responsibility. And when you ask them, they will say ‘Look at the PIB Act,” he fumed.
Amadi also shared his sentiment, saying no nation prospers when its people are pessimistic and don’t believe a good thing can come out of it.
According to the former NERC boss, economic development depends on attitude, perception and beliefs about oneself.
He said, “Nigeria is blessed with abundant resources and a talented crop of people. But resources and talent alone do not guarantee success. Nations are human creations. They did not emerge or were packaged by God. They are forged by committed leadership and mobilisation of a passionate people.
“Sometimes, negative thoughts can run a country down. That is why all the developed countries in the world, including the United States and East Asia, they always come with a high dose of optimism and belief that they will get it right. As Nigerians, we should never be utterly pessimistic. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Earlier in his address, the host, a United States-based Professor of Medicine, Prof Emeka Umerah, praised President Bola Tinubu for staying true to his vision amid opposition.
According to him, it takes a courageous leader to carry out the ongoing reforms in the country knowing that it may bring people temporary pain.
“In the spirit of boldness, courage and determination, I must commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a true visionary for his maverick style leadership over the past year. Leading Nigeria requires navigating complex challenges and making decisions that may not yield immediate results or compliments.
“Forgoing political expediency, President Tinubu has shown remarkable courage in confronting these challenges, steering our nation towards a brighter future. Reflecting on his first year in office, I have been pleasantly surprised by the strides we have made.
“As we celebrate these achievements, let us not forget that our work is far from over. We must continue to embolden the bold, to encourage the courageous, and to unite in our efforts to build a nation where every citizen has a fair chance at success, and where prosperity reaches every corner of our land,” he stated.
