December 08, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Department of State Services (DSS), met with the key stakeholders in the midstream and downstream oil sector on Thursday, in a bid to clear fuel queues in 48 hours.
The meeting had in attendance the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), National Association of Road Transport Owners, among others.
Speaking after the meeting, oil marketers promised to implement every decision reached during the meeting.
Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, said all parties had committed to ensuring supply and clearing the queues within the given time.
“We’ve heard from all the stakeholders on each of their individual commitments to ensuring adequate supply and distribution of petroleum products. And they reemphasised that the commitment is to take effect within 48 hours.
“So we are hoping that with the efficiency in the distribution, both by marine and trucking, in the next 48 hours the commitments will really start and hopefully we will see a positive environment, away from the difficult situation we are experiencing across the nation”, he stated.
DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunnaya, said during the meeting, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited disclosed that it had about 1.9bn litres of PMS in stock, which would last for the yuletide period and long after.
According to him, “it is the mandate of the Service to detect and prevent threats to national security, this is why the Service has to summon the stakeholders meeting in the oil and gas sector to find a lasting solution to the problem before it snowballs to crisis
“There is an agreement that marketers will be operating for 24hrs on daily basis and that tankers owners said all hands will be on deck to ensure lifting of the products.
“IPMAN has also committed itself to ensure that the product is available for 24hrs daily.
“The NNPC Ltd disclosed that it has over 1.9bn litres of PMS in stock and also agreed to sell the products at official ex-depot price to all oil marketers nationwide
“For us at the DSS, we agreed to provide adequate security for fuel distribution.
“Therefore, we insisted that the fuel distribution must improve and all challenges eliminated in 48hrs, and after 48hrs, we will as a matter of urgency, carry out operations across the country. And in doing this, we won’t mind whose oars are gored.
“We are sounding a note of warning that it won’t be business as usual. We have set our commands and platform nationwide on high alert and they are to get information on any element, who want to obstruct these efforts
“We are also advising the members of the public not to capitalize on the fuel scarcity to take laws into their hands as the Service will deal ruthlessly with individuals or groups trying to obstruct even distribution of the products.”
The Executive Secretary of DAPPMAN, Femi Adewole, said the issue of foreign exchange faced by depot owners was discussed, adding that efforts were on to address it.
He said, “The challenges to marketers, especially depot owners, were explained and the meeting agreed and actually noted the forex component challenge and its input into our cost, which we should in all ideal cases recover reasonably. That was agreed upon.
“We also agreed that based on the assurances of products given to marketers, provided by NNPC, we will ensure that, going forward, all depots work 24 hours, based on the security risks appraised.
“We will work 24 hours to ensure that the queues in town are reduced. Our retail outlets, spread nationwide, will also ensure that they sell 24 hours based on our security situation appraised. I want to assure Nigerians that going forward, they will be able to get fuel in filling stations without too much hitch or harassment.”
On his part, the Executive Secretary, MOMAN, Clement Isong, said operators would ensure that they implement the decisions reached at the meeting.
“As these decisions are being implemented, the queues will subside. We have committed to work with NNPC to continuously improve operational efficiency in order to achieve operational excellence”, he said.
Also, IPMAN Chairman, Chinedu Okoronkwo, stated that marketers had been asked not to do anything that would jeopardise their licences, as the association had committed to that resolution.
He said another resolution that was reached at the meeting was that independent marketers would get products directly from NNPC.
“That will make this product available within the 48 hours that we have been given. And I also want to tell you that NARTO, NUPENG and PTD are in concert with IPMAN to ensure that this product gets to every nook and cranny nationwide”, Okonkwo stated
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