Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has accused an oil cabal in Nigeria of conspiring with international oil companies (IOCs) to sabotage the operations of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Speaking at the November 2024 Abuja Special Holy Ghost Service, Pastor Adeboye expressed deep concerns over what he described as a deliberate attempt to undermine the successful operations of private refineries like Dangote’s.
He urged Nigerians to pray for divine intervention, calling for protection against oil marketers whose actions, he claims, are creating unnecessary hardship for the Nigerian people.
In a passionate address, Adeboye said, “We have seen sabotage of our refineries before, and now there is a plot to stop Dangote Refinery from flourishing. This is not just a matter of business; it is a matter of national interest.”
The cleric explained that oil marketers, in partnership with some international oil companies, have been making concerted efforts to prevent Dangote Refinery from selling its refined products directly to Nigerians. This, he suggested, was part of a larger scheme to continue benefiting from the importation of fuel, rather than allowing a locally built refinery to succeed.
Pastor Adeboye raised questions about the country’s dependence on fuel imports, despite Nigeria being one of the largest oil producers in the world.
“Are we under a curse?” he asked the congregation. “We have four refineries, we poured all kinds of money into them, yet none of them is working. But God raised someone to build a refinery that works.”
He highlighted that, despite Nigeria’s wealth in crude oil resources, the country has continued to struggle with maintaining functional refineries. This, he believes, has been one of the key reasons why Nigerians have faced the brunt of the cost of imported fuel for years.
The issue of fuel scarcity and high prices has long been a point of national concern. Nigerians still find themselves paying exorbitant prices for fuel, with prices as high as N1060 and N1200 per liter at NNPC stations and other retail outlets, even as the country continues to produce crude oil in large quantities.
“The problem is not that we do not have the means to refine our oil,” Adeboye said. “The problem is that some people want to keep the control of the industry to themselves. They want to keep the suffering of the people going.”
The pastor further commended Aliko Dangote, the billionaire owner of Dangote Refinery, for his initiative to build a refinery in Nigeria after years of failed attempts to revive the country’s four government-owned refineries.
“Dangote is not my relative,” Adeboye emphasized. “He is not even from my village. But he is a Nigerian who saw that his people were suffering and decided to take action.”
Adeboye’s remarks come at a time when the country is facing fuel supply disruptions, despite Nigeria’s vast oil resources. While other private refineries have struggled, Dangote’s refinery has been hailed as a potential game-changer for the country’s oil sector.
However, despite the progress made by Dangote Refinery, challenges remain, particularly in the distribution and sale of the refined products.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) recently reached an agreement with Dangote Refinery to purchase petrol directly from the refinery. This deal was seen as a significant step in ensuring that Dangote’s refined products reach the Nigerian market at competitive prices, rather than relying on imported fuel.
