Nigerian govt embarrassing itself with claims of Dangote being monopoly — Falana
By Jeffrey Agbo
Lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has knocked the authorities for accusing Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, of being a monopoly.
Speaking on the Dangote Refinery saga on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, the lawyer said it sends a dangerous signal to investors about Nigeria.
“Well, I’ve enjoyed the inter-class feud or what you might call a dog-eat-dog affair. But it’s at the expense of the country and we cannot continue like this.
“The government cannot go around the world asking for foreign investment only to be accused of destroying local investment. It is very dangerous for the country,” he said.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the refinery in May 2023 in the twilight of his administration.
Nigerian regulatory authorities had accused Dangote Refinery of rolling out sub-standard petroleum products, a claim the company has refuted.
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Dangote has since announced plans not to invest in the steel sector to avoid being further tagged a monopoly.
Dismissing the monopoly claim, Falana said, “It is so embarrassing that we are telling the whole world that the government of Nigeria is incapable of managing its affairs. That one person is monopolising trade in our country.
“What is the purpose of the government? It is to checkmate any monopolistic control of any business in Nigeria. But what do you call a monopoly?
“If you have allowed your own refineries to be destroyed, what happens? Somebody now decides to have a refinery, that’s a monopoly. There is nothing you can do about it.
“You must now stop this childish, very puerile argument that someone wants a monopoly,” he said, calling on the government to work and fix the country’s refineries.
“It is not the business of the government? That’s why you have the Federal Consumer Protection Commission to deal with anybody who wants to maintain a monopoly in business in the country. The government must go back to the drawing table.”