Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, has stated that he never asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to dump the Port Harcourt Refinery and other state-owned refineries for the Dangote Refinery.
He stated this in a statement on Tuesday.
His comment comes after his representative at the ongoing Crude Oil Refinery-owners Association of Nigeria Summit in Lagos, Dangana Tende, Deputy Director, Upstream, at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, said the government would ensure that deregulation is 100 percent.
Similarly, Lokpobiri was said to have urged NNPCL to acquire more equity stake in Dangote Refinery.
But in his press statement, Lokpobiri denied advising NNPCL to focus on Dangote Refinery at the expense of the state-owned refineries.
“This does not represent my position as Minister overseeing the oil sector, nor does it reflect the stance of the Federal Government.
“It is important to clarify that NNPCL is a company governed under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a functional board and management. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not control or run NNPCL, as it operates independently like any corporate entity.
“The oil and gas sector is fully deregulated, and the Nigerian government remains committed to promoting in-country refining,” he said.