Members of the Iron Rod and Steel Distributors Employers Union of Nigeria (IRSDEUN) have reacted to claims by the chairman, Dangote Groups, Aliko Dangote, that certain government officials are frustrating his efforts to commence operations at his oil refinery in Nigeria.
It is recalled that Dangote had reportedly said that the officials are motivated by personal interests in foreign oil blending companies, particularly in Malta.
In a statement by the union’s national president, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, he said that Dangote’s experience validates long-held position of the group that a select group of Nigerians is deliberately undermining efforts to achieve economic stability in the country.
This, they believe, is driven by personal benefits accruing to these individuals.
Awoyale expressed surprise at the NNPC’s GMD, Mele Kyari’s, challenge to Dangote to name NNPC personnel with foreign interests in the oil refining sector.
He pointed out that similar issues have been raised by the Union in the steel industry, where they have exposed various atrocities and individuals involved in promoting substandard products. “Despite this, the Federal Government has yet to take decisive action to address the problem.
“We had reported severally, the case of a Managing Director of a foreign-owned steel rolling company in Nigeria who leverages his influence as a former SON DG to get away with substandard production. We also recently raised the alarm about the compromising stances of the SON’s taskforce Chairman, who prevented companies caught with substandard products by his team member from facing the penalty, under the guise of laboratory testing for which result was never communicated till date, and nothing was done. The result could be presented because some personnel of SON are complicit.
“The SON in a letter to our Union sometimes ago, having failed to checkmate the production and distribution of substandard steel products, equally promised to do a market raid to mop up and destroy substandard products in the market and trace their production source but that did not happen till date.
“The fact that Dangote, a prominent businessman, is facing frustration in his efforts to invest in the steel production sector due to anticipated challenges is a vindication of our position”, he said.
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Awoyale, who said that “It is disheartening to note that Nigerians are actively aiding foreign nationals in crippling local producers and encouraging the production of substandard products, all for personal gratification”, highlighted the devastating consequences of using substandard steel products, citing over 200 cases of building collapse in 2024 alone.
The Union reiterates the need for the government to revive the Ajaokuta steel rolling mill and address the systemic issues in the oil and gas sector.
“We had called on the government to revive Ajaokuta steel rolling mill, but no effort has been made in that direction. The same thing is happening in the oil and gas sector, where we have four refineries and none is working, and here is NNPC crying foul of attempt to monopolize the energy sector. Is it not disappointing that an individual can complete a refinery on record time, while it’s taking our whole nation forever to put all of our refineries in good shape?”, he queried.
Awoyale urged President Bola Tinubu to look beyond the minimum wage and address the broader issues surrounding the affordability and quality of consumption by Nigerians.
“If these issues are not addressed frontally and patriotically, the minimum wage will be eroded by rising costs due to systemic rots and unpatriotic attitudes by a few privileged individuals,” he said.
