By Bashir Bello, KANO
The Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) has warned the Federal Government that the continued issuance of licences for the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) poses a serious threat to major local investments in the country.
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The President of the Chamber, Amb. Usman Darma, made this known while addressing journalists on KACCIMA’s position regarding the recent face-off between Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Darma faulted the sustained reliance on fuel importation despite Nigeria’s growing local refining capacity, saying it could undermine the economy, discourage investors and worsen unemployment.
He warned that continued fuel importation could force local refiners to downsize, with dire consequences for national security.
The Chamber’s President maintained that the policy direction, if not urgently reviewed, could at the long run fuel insecurity across the country.
According to him, “We are advising the Federal Government that the direction it is going is a threat to the Nigerian economy.
“When a local investor like Dangote, who has spent enormous time and resources in this country, begins to face challenges on projects he has implemented, it sends a very bad signal.
“Dangote is the largest employer of labour in the country after the Federal Government. If his business is threatened by people trying to sabotage his efforts, it discourages both existing and prospective investors coming into Nigeria.”
The KACCIMA President appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restore order in the system.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government, especially the President, to call his officials to order and do the right thing. We are not saying Dangote should be the sole refinery in Nigeria.
“What we are saying is that anyone who has invested such huge capital deserves protection. Granting licences to import PMS is not in the national interest. Those countries we import fuel from are creating jobs for their citizens, while ours are being denied opportunities,” he said.
“If this situation persists, Dangote may be forced to reduce his workforce. Rising unemployment will ultimately worsen insecurity, because unemployment is one of the major drivers of security challenges in any nation.
“We are calling for justice and fairness in all actions. There is corruption in the system. This issue has lingered for almost a year now,” the KACCIMA President, Darma noted.
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