Marketers have demanded direct access to Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Dangote refinery, criticising the firm grip of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on the market.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the market should be open for all in line with the willing-buyer and willing-seller commitment earlier made by the corporation.

The NNPCL had last Saturday said it was not the sole off-taker of products from the Dangote refinery, adding that the refinery was free to sell its petrol to any marketer.

But a week after the statement, the Federal Government announced that the company would be the sole buyer of petrol from the refinery.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, noted that interested marketers would have to buy the product from the national oil firm through its trading company.

The minister, represented by the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacceus Adedeji, also announced that the Dangote refinery would commence the distribution of petrol to marketers on Sunday with an initial 25 million litres per day.

He said, “I am glad to announce that all agreements have been put in place, and the loading of the first batch of PMS, as already announced by NNPC, will commence on Sunday, September 15, 2024. And from October 1, NNPC will commence the supply of crude oil to the Dangote refinery to be paid in naira.

“In return, Dangote refinery will supply PMS and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid in naira. But for now, PMS will only be sold to NNPC. NNPC will then sell to various marketers.”

Reacting, Ukadike said the market should be liberalised.

“It should be open for all in line with the willing-buyer and willing-seller comments made by the NNPC. We are also looking at how to build our logistics and come up with our price,” he stated.

Also, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, raised concerns over the risks of creating a new domestic monopoly in the oil and gas sector.

Gillis-Harry said, “Right now, even on Saturday, that business (petrol) is going to start rolling out tomorrow (Sunday), we don’t know what the price might be. Nobody has informed us about anything; we are not aware of what the government is doing.

“We don’t know any of the pricing templates yet or the matrix that will bring about the pricing template. We have been asking Dangote or anybody that is in charge of this transaction to be transparent, but somehow, we have not got any of that information.

“We are about to leave NNPC monopoly from importation and now we are also going to have that in a domestic environment, that portends danger for the industry.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Saturday said about 300 trucks have arrived at the Dangote Refinery ahead of the loading of petrol.

The company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed the arrival of the trucks at the refinery via X.

Soneye wrote: “We (NNPC Ltd) has started deploying our trucks and vessels to the Dangote Refinery to lift PMS (petrol), in preparation for the scheduled lifting date of September 15th, as set by the refinery.

“By the end of today, at least 300 trucks will be stationed at the refinery’s fuel loading gantry.”

Similarly, NNPC said trucks have been mobilized to the refinery ahead of Sunday’s loading.

“In preparation for the Dangote Refinery’s scheduled petrol loading on Sunday, September 15, 2024, NNPC Ltd. has been mobilizing trucks to the refinery’s fuel loading gantry in Ibeju-Lekki.

“As of Saturday afternoon, NNPC Ltd. had deployed over 100 trucks, with hundreds more en route,” NNPC Ltd. wrote on X.

Last week, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, announced the commencement of fuel production.

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, has declared the upcoming governorship election in the state “a do-or-die affair”.

The Edo state off-cycle gubernatorial election is slated to be held on September 21.

Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) are the main contenders in the election.

Speaking at the PDP grand finale rally in the Ekenwan area of Benin City, the state capital, Obaseki berated Adams Oshiomhole, his predecessor, for performing below par during his tenure.

“The person I took over from had no respect for our people, had no respect for women, encouraged prostitution and women’s trafficking,” Obaseki said.

“When I took over office, our pensioners wore black on Labor Day, but today they wear white.

“When I took office, our youths had no jobs, but today don’t they have jobs? After eight years, is Edo not one of the safest in Nigeria?

“This election is do or die; if they do, we will die. Next week Saturday by this time, vote for the PDP to become the next governor.”

On Thursday, political parties and their candidates in Edo signed the peace accord to allow for a free and fair election in the state, although the PDP declined to sign the agreement.