Dele Momodu Reacts to Dangote Refinery Saga, Says: ‘Don’t Chase our Businessmen Away’

Ovation Publisher and social activist, Basorun Dele Momodu, has added his voice to the increasing public resentment over the current spat between the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority and the management of Dangote Refinery, declaring that government must not formulate or execute policies that would stifle or kill local businesses and discourage foreign investors from coming to the country.

Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian authorities have been at daggers drawn for some weeks know with the billionaire alleging sabotage. The matter came to head over the weekend when he announced that he was no longer interested in investing  in Nigeria’s steel project, saying he would not want to be accused of monopoly.

Momodu, an entrepreneur and former presidential aspirant, bared his mind on the roiling confusion, on Monday, during an interview on Channel Television’s flagship political programme, Politics Today.

The Ovation publisher was unequivocal in decrying the ongoing controversy, describing it as “shameful”, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter as it would not be good for the country to be washing its dirty linen in public glare as the whole world was watching.

“The whole social media is awash and abuzz with the issue of this Dangote refinery issue,” he said. “Instead of me rehashing what people are saying, let me just tell you my own solution. Mr. President, in this season of anomie in Nigeria, you need all the friends you can get in the private sector.”

Momodu was not done. He declared:

“It’s almost like it is a crime to be an investor in Nigeria. I saw the reports in the Financial Times, Bloomberg and others. It will not help Nigeria.

“I don’t know who has grudges to bear with him (Dangote). He should call him into a bedroom. Let them go and settle it behind closed doors. We cannot afford to wash this dirty linen in public. It is going to boomerang for all of us. That is my attitude.

“I believe this man has invested so much in Nigeria, just like other people. We have a lot of good businessmen in Nigeria who are doing great things. We should encourage them and not allow them to run away. Now, he said one of his friends is laughing at him because he warned him not to put all his eggs in one basket.

“I have seen other countries where Dangote invested. I have been to his plants in Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania. I can see the effort those countries are making to accommodate him there. We should not chase our businessmen away.

“I am sure other business people in Nigeria are watching. They might say, ‘hey, if this can happen to Dangote, it can happen to me.’ And everybody will be scared. We should not create this panic. We can’t afford this at this time.”