Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria’s Senate President has said Aliko Dangote, the chairman of the Dangote Group shamed successive governments by completing 650,000 barrels per day refinery.
Akpabio said this when he led the leadership of the 10th Senate on a tour of the Refinery in Lagos. He referred to the refinery as the 9th wonder of the world.
Akpabio, emphasised that detractors of the refinery and “dream killers” have all been silenced and that indeed, previous governments have been put to shame with the completion of the project.
Akpabio stated that the whole Nigeria couldn’t make refineries function in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri, but that Dangote and his team have proven that it is possible to dream and achieve it in Nigeria.
He further said the shame that came with the discovery of oil in Nigeria in 1958 has been removed by Dangote alluding to a report that India does not have oil but has refineries from where the country exports refined products, while noting that the inability of the nation to refine its oil has brought untold hardship on Nigerians so much so that Belgian government recently ban the exportation of dirty and condemned fuel to the country to West African country just because we can’t refine our own products.
“They told us in Abuja that Dangote Refinery is farce but we have come here and see 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”, the Senate President said.
“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.
The Senate President also said Dangote deserved all the accolades for this feat noting that ordinary residence of Nigeria’s Vice-President could not be completed until after 14 years.
He assured that the National Assembly will give it what it takes to protect the project because its one project that Nigeria and indeed Africa should take the ownership and must be protected jealously.
He said the Senate and the entire National Assembly would come up with a robust legislation that would protect the project and others like it.
“Mr. Dangote, I pity you a lot because even your friends will envy you simply because they will keep wondering how can you 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 fertilisers for Nigeria and 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 said.