Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has refuted claims that he denied Rivers people the opportunity to host the multibillion-dollar Dangote Refinery, insisting that Africa’s richest man never requested land for such a project in the state.
Amaechi’s clarification followed allegations by former federal lawmaker, Chidi Wihioka, who accused the ex-governor of frustrating Aliko Dangote’s plan to site the refinery in Port Harcourt due to alleged personal demands.
Speaking through Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Amaechi said the allegation was false and misleading.
“Dangote had already commenced construction of his refinery in Lagos when he visited me in Port Harcourt. His request was for land to build a gas plant, not a refinery,” Amaechi said.
The former governor explained that he obliged Dangote by showing him a site opposite the Onne Seaport, which was considered suitable for the proposed gas plant. However, according to him, the business mogul never returned to develop the site.
“I never asked Dangote for anything. I willingly gave him land opposite Onne seaport, but he never came back. The refinery project was already in Lagos before his visit to Rivers,” Amaechi added.
Wihioka, who represented Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, had alleged that Dangote abandoned plans to invest in Rivers because of Amaechi’s “unreasonable demands.”
The claim generated heated debate among Rivers elders and stakeholders, with some urging Amaechi to publicly address the issue.
One of such voices, Chief Bob Wali, had stressed the need for the former governor to “clear the air” given the economic significance of the refinery project, which today remains Nigeria’s single largest private-sector investment.
The Dangote Refinery, now located in Lagos, has a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and was inaugurated in 2023, with projections to drastically cut Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
