In a bold and urgent move, the Afenifere Youth Renewal Group (AYRG) has penned a letter to President Bola Tinubu, raising the alarm over an alleged high-level scheme aimed at crippling domestic refineries including the Dangote Refinery and frustrating efforts to meet Nigeria’s petrol consumption needs.
According to the AYRG, a powerful cabal comprising petroleum importers and officials within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is said to be orchestrating a deliberate obstruction of crude oil supply to local refineries.
This move, the group warns, could plunge Nigeria back into an era of fuel import dependency, reversing the gains of Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The letter, jointly signed by Chief Semiu Oriade (President) and Otunba Opeoluwa Ayeola (Secretary-General), describes the alleged sabotage as a direct threat to Nigeria’s economic stability, with severe consequences such as:
• Artificial fuel scarcity
• A skyrocketing increase in pump prices
• Economic hardship for millions of Nigerians
A Threat to Economic Progress
The Afenifere youths expressed deep concern that this conspiracy, if left unchecked, could erase the economic progress made under Tinubu’s leadership.
They hailed the President for his bold decision to remove fuel subsidies, describing it as a game-changer that freed Nigeria from the grip of corrupt oil cartels. However, they warned that economic saboteurs many of whom benefited from the former subsidy regime are now actively working to derail his administration.
In a passionate plea, the group stated:
“We write not only as concerned citizens but as stakeholders deeply invested in the development, stability, and prosperity of our dear country. It is now abundantly evident that certain vested interests within the NNPC are actively and deliberately trying to thwart the excellent advancements of your administration by obstructing the supply of crude oil to local refineries.”
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The group further cautioned that if this “insidious plot” is not swiftly addressed, it could drag Nigeria back to an era of fuel importation, hyperinflation, and economic regression.
A Nation Under Siege by Oil Cartels?
Highlighting Nigeria’s vast crude oil wealth, the AYRG lamented how systemic sabotage, corruption, and vested interests have forced the country into a humiliating cycle of exporting crude oil only to import it back as refined fuel at exorbitant prices.
The group emphasized that President Tinubu’s efforts to revive local refineries and end this absurdity are now being threatened by forces desperate to retain their grip on Nigeria’s oil economy.
“Your administration has taken bold steps toward making Nigeria self-sufficient in petroleum refining. Yet, rather than embracing this vision of progress, these saboteurs, driven by greed and the loss of illicit profits, are now seeking to cripple local refining operations and reverse the policies that have begun to liberate our economy.”
A Call for Immediate Action
The Afenifere Youth Renewal Group urged President Tinubu to launch a comprehensive investigation into the NNPCL, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of crude oil to domestic refineries. They stressed that allowing these conspirators to succeed would not only plunge the nation into economic hardship but would also undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty as a self-reliant oil-producing nation.
This warning comes on the heels of reports suggesting that the NNPCL plans to adjust crude allocations to Dangote Refinery, following the operational restart of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, which currently have a combined refining capacity of 135,000 barrels per day. Under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude policy, the NNPCL currently supplies Dangote Refinery with 300,000 barrels per day, but any disruption to this arrangement could spell economic disaster.
The question remains: Will the government take decisive action against these alleged economic saboteurs, or will Nigeria once again fall victim to the grip of oil cartels?