Following the disagreement between the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Dangote refinery, the South East Youth Vanguard for Good Governance (SEYVGG), Tuesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dismiss Mr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NMDPRA.

The group also attributed the current scarcity of petroleum products across the country, which has continued to exacerbate the suffering of Nigerians to lack of adequate management and support of local refining capacity by the leadership of NMDPRA.

Addressing a press conference at the Godwin Ezeemo International Press Center Awka, Anambra State on Sunday 28 July, 2024, by the duo of Comrade Chuks Obele Favour and Comrade Minister Udochukwu; National Coordinator and National Secretary General of Southeast Youth Vanguard For Good Governance respectively, the group called for a ban on the importation of refined petroleum products and the supply of crude oil to local refineries with immediate effect.

“The ongoing fuel scarcity across several states in Nigeria continues to impose severe hardships on ordinary citizens, exacerbating the already high cost of living. This crisis has raised serious questions about the management of the local oil production by the downstream which has led to a significant increase in the cost of transportation, affecting livelihoods of Nigerians.

“It’s unacceptable that the so-called largest oil producer and exporter on the continent has continued to grapple with fuel scarcity due to a combination of factors, including inadequate refinery capacity, continuous pipeline vandalism and inadequate infrastructure. These challenges have persisted for decades, and one expects that the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will address the perennial crisis.

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dismiss the CEO of NMDPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed to end the sufferings of Nigerians and  pave way for the actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.

“We are particularly appalled by the audacity with which he tackled Dangote Refinery, labelling its products as substandard is shocking and highly condemnable.

“Any attack on Dangote Refinery and indeed any indigenous business which had employed Nigerians in their numbers and the potential to end Nigeria’s dependence on oil importation is an attack on all well meaning Nigerians and it must be resisted.

The group hailed the Dangote Group under the visionary leadership of Aliko Dangote for it’s far reaching impacts, stating further that the Dangote Refinery, for instance is “poised to transform Nigeria from a net importer to a net exporter of refined petroleum products, a development that will drastically reduce the nation’s dependency on imported fuels, saving billions of dollars annually in foreign exchange with a host of other economic benefits”.