The recurrent battles being prosecuted by the President of Dangote Group and the man behind the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority is not likely to end even after the ‘resignation’ of the hitherto Chief Executive of the institution, Engineer Farouk Ahmed.
Reason for this cannot be far-fetched because what it requires to sanitize the oil and gas sector in Nigeria definitely goes beyond the easing-out of Enigineer Ahmed. Or any other person for that matter.
Over the weekend, the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Festus Osifo emphatically urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government to be less sentimental as it goes about the business of sanitizing the oil and gas sector.
Osifo, who was reported to have spoken while featuring on a show on Channels Television over the weekend, sent out a passive message to President Tinubu to be dispassionate while stressing that “issues raised by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, should be clearly deconstructed and addressed through strong institutions.”
In essence, while looking for sustainable solution to the challenges facing the oil and gas sector, it is more advisable for the Federal Government to deploy and empower institutions rather than ‘influential individuals’.
If President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda will have any far-reaching and positive effect on the masses in Nigeria, the oil and gas sector including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as well as others must be totally overhauled.
This is not going to be an easy task to be accomplished. FG needs to evolve the political will to succeed in the venture.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
