Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has mocked Nigerian Governments, saying Dangote has achieved what successive Governments could not achieve with the completion of the Dangote refinery.
Akpabio stated this when he led the leadership of the 10th Senate on a tour of the Refinery in Lagos. The amazed Senator described the refinery as the 9th wonder of the world.
Recall that the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had commissioned the 650,000 barrels per day refinery in Lagos, recently.
Speaking during the tour, Akpabio, mocked the detractors of the refinery and “dream killers” of the project. He said they have all been silenced with the completion of the refinery.
The Senate President added that indeed, previous Governments have been put to shame with the completion of the refinery project.
Akpabio stated that while the whole Nigeria couldn’t make refineries function in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri, Dangote and his team have proven that it is possible to dream and achieve it in Nigeria.
He further added that the shame that came with the discovery of oil in Nigeria in 1958 has been removed by Dangote.
The Senate President alluded to a report that India does not have oil but has refineries from where the country exports refined products.
Akpabio noted that the inability of Nigeria to refine its oil has brought untold hardship to the country. So much so, that Belgian Government recently banned the exportation of dirty and condemned fuel to Nigeria. Just because we can’t refine our own products.
He said, “They told us in Abuja that Dangote Refinery is farce. But we have come here and seen for ourselves that the refinery is alive and running. Dangote has put to shame a lot of people. They are wondering how it will be possible for a single individual to accomplish what a whole nation could not accomplish. What 240 million people could not maintain. What a continent could not do. And then, one person will build 650,000bpd project.”
“They keep wondering how one person can succeed where nations have failed. Where continent has failed. But Dangote has done it. It is highly commendable. We came to see the refinery because we in the current senate believe in the Nigerian dream. We didn’t come as a doubting Thomas. But we came, because we believe the project. We came to rekindle the hope of Nigerians and the Nigerian’s can-do spirit,” he added.
Akpabio, therefore, stated that Dangote deserved all the accolades for this feat. He lamented that an ordinary residence of Nigeria’s Vice-President could not be completed until after 14 years.
The Senate President, therefore, assured that the National Assembly will give whatever it takes to protect the refinery. He stated that the project is one project that Nigeria and indeed Africa should take the ownership. Therefore, it must be protected jealously.
Akpabio pointed that the Senate and the entire National Assembly would come up with a robust legislation that would protect the project and others like it.
Addressing the Chairman of the Dangote Group, the Senate President said, “Mr. Dangote, I pity you a lot. Because even your friends will envy you simply because they will keep wondering how you can succeed when nations, and continents have failed.
“Now that we have seen for ourselves, we are here to announce our own endorsement of this major project. It is also shocking to see that we produce sufficient fertilizers for Nigeria. And even enough to be exported.
“As I said, we will do our report and we will speak to Mr. President to put a stop to fertilizer import to Nigeria. You will hear from us soon,” Akpabio assured.
source: BusinessDay
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