The Dangote Group has described the reported lawsuit against NNPC Limited (NNPCL) and other oil companies, seeking to revoke their import licenses, as “an old issue”.
In a statement on Monday, the group’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Mr. Anthony Chiejina clarified that the proceedings are currently on hold, with plans for a complete withdrawal by January 2025.
Chiejina emphasised that the case is not a new development but an issue that began in June and led to a matter being filed on 6 September 2024.
He further assured that, when the case is revisited in January 2025, the group would be prepared to formally withdraw it from the court.
The statement by Chiejina, titled. ‘No Fresh Case Filed Against NNPCL, read: “This is an old issue that started in June and culminated in a matter being filed on 6 September 2024.
“Currently, the parties are in discussion since President Bola Tinubu’s directive on Crude Oil and Refined products sales in the Naira Initiative, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“We have made tremendous progress in that regard and events have overtaken this development.
“No party has been served with court processes and there is no intention of doing so. We have agreed to put a halt to the proceedings.
“It is important to stress that no orders have been made and there are no adverse effects on any party.
“We understand that once the matter comes up January 2025, we would be in a position to formally withdraw the matter in court”.
In a report on Monday, Dangote Refinery was said to have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to nullify import licences granted to NNPCL, Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, and four other companies.
The licences permitted the firms to import refined petroleum products, which Dangote claims were already sufficiently supplied by its refinery without any shortfalls.
In suit, Dangote Refinery is demanding N100 billion in damages from the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for allegedly continuing to issue import permits for products such as Automotive Gas Oil and Jet-A1 (aviation turbine fuel) to NNPCL, Matrix, and others. The refinery argues that its production capacity surpasses the nation’s daily consumption requirements for these products, making imports unnecessary.
The defendants in the case include NMDPRA, NNPCL, Aym Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, listed as the 1st to 7th defendants.
