The presidency has clarified claims that a member of President Bola Tinubu‘s Economic Coordination Council, Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, is one of Malta’s biggest importers of petrol.
The chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Aliko Dangote, had claimed that officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), oil traders and terminals had established a blending plant in Malta.
However, the group chief executive officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, immediately denied Dangote’s claim, saying he did not have any vested interest in any plant in Malta.
In an interview with the aforementioned publication, Aliu denied any wrongdoing in his business practices and promised a full response to the newspaper’s questions.
According to an insider who shared confidential documents with the publication, over 200,000 tonnes of petrol from Malta were discharged into the Matrix jetty in Warri, Delta state, in July 2024 alone.
Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a statement via X on Saturday, said Aliu has been in the petrol business for over 20 years, and it would be wrong to accuse him of importing bad fuel into the country.
Ajayi clarified that Aliu as an active player in the downstream sector, had nothing to do with his membership in President Tinubu’s economic council.
The statement reads, “It appears @thecableng just wants to create a storm in a teacup because I can’t seem to understand the link between where Matrix Energy imports petroleum products from and the Chief Executive’s membership of President Tinubu’s Economic Council.
“The man has been in the business for over 20 years. It is not enough to accuse someone of importing bad fuel into the country without evidence just because another businessman, seeking to protect his own turf, made the allegation.
“Matrix is an active player in the downstream sector. Whatever business arrangement the company has with NNPC has been on for many years before the current administration that is barely a year old.
“The company runs over 150 retail stations across the country and is reported to have three vessels for its operations. Matrix Energy, arguably, owns one of the largest independent product storage facilities in Nigeria.
“Certainly, it wasn’t the CEO’s membership of President Bola Tinubu’s Economic Council that made him an active player in the sector where he has operated for over twenty years.
“Members of President Tinubu’s Economic Council are drawn up from leaders of big businesses in critical sectors of the economy. Other members of the Council announced on March 27, 2024 include Mr. Segun Agbaje, Group CEO of GTBank Holding Company, Aliko Dangote, Mrs. Funke Okpeke, Tony Elumelu, Patrick Okigbo, Ms Amina Maina, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Dr. Doyin Salami among others.”
