FG to probe contaminated fuel supply
…As experts fault NNPC over compromise of quality assurance test
By Our Correspondents
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of indepth investigation into the supply of off-spec Premium Motor Spirit ( PMS) by the supplier of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and distribution by the petroleum marketing companies, Nigerian Midstream Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) as well as Marketers over the contaminated fuel imported into the country.
The decision came on the heels of the discovery that unknown litres of PMS routinely called petrol had been contaminated with Methanol which was way above Nigerian specification (off spec).
The off spec of Methanol has brought back long queues and scarcity in filling stations within Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Abuja and other states of the federation.
While speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which was held yesterday, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, said there would be a major investigation to unravel the cause of the unsafe quantity of methanol in petrol imported into the country.
The Minister did not name the identities of the companies involved, but assured Nigerians that they would be made known to public after thorough investigations were concluded.
According to him, “There will be a major investigation to unravel everything. We need to get to the bottom of it before we can come back to tell you what will happen to the culprits,” the Minister said.
While assuring Nigerians whose cars were damaged after buying the fuel, the Minister said, “We know that some people’s vehicles must have been damaged; that is also going to the taken into consideration in dealing with the situation.”
…Experts fault regulator, NNPC over compromise of quality assurance test
Meanwhile, experts in the oil and gas industry have accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of compromise in the fuel discovered to be contaminated with Methanol which had thrown many Nigerians into untowards hardship.
The experts who chose not to be named for fear of retribution, told our correspondents, on a telephone call yesterday, that both bodies failed to subject the contaminated imported fuel for quality assurance test through their various laboratories in the country.
One of the leading industry experts maintained that, “All imported fuel is expected to pass through NNPC’s laboratory for quality compliant test. There was no way such a large amount of fuel would enter Nigerian market without these tests.
“So finding their ways into the market could only mean that some echelon members of NNPC and NMDPRA were complicit.”
Speaking further, he charged the federal government to use national resources to nail anyone found culpable; warning that sweeping such a criminal act under the carpet would not speak well for the country in the global community.
Another prominent stakeholder in the downstream sector faulted the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), noted that as a regulatory body whose members are present in all Depots, and meant to sign before such fuel leaves Depots for market could not claim to be exonerated.
He charged the National Assembly to beam its search-light on “some members of the regulatory bodies.”
Also, an oil and gas expert, Managing Partner, BBH Consulting Barr. Ameh Madaki said it is a clear indication of the comtempt in which the government of Nigeria holds its citizenry.
Ameh expressed that the failure of regulation, alongside total lack of consequence management has been the bane of Nigeria’s governance all these years since independence.
According to him, “It is yet another clear demonstration of the contempt in which the government of Nigeria holds its citizenry. In any sane country, big heads would roll for this, but alas, not in Nigeria.
“The failure of regulation and total lack of consequence management has been the bane of Nigeria s governance all these years since independence. And we are never going to have the Nigeria of our collective dreams until we step forward and be counted on the side of doing things right, and we do not cover up for incompetence and fraud as has occurred in this case.
“For instance, who will bear the cost of the between 70 million and 100 million litres of adulterated fuel in this situation, considering that payments are made upfront for products before delivery? And who will compensate the consumers whose vehicles are damaged by the poor petrol purchased in their tanks with their own money?
“And finally, who are the big heads that will be held accountable for this crass incompetence, starting from President Muhammadu Buhari who insists on holding the position of Minister of Petroleum Resources, when it is obvious to every discerning person that he knows absolutely nothing about the modern petroleum industry which has become a global business, quite different from what he was used to over 40 years ago when he was Federal Commissioner for Petroleum Resources?
“These questions are begging for answers from the Nigerian electorate, but I bet you, you will never get answers to any of them from an insensitive, incompetent and crassly corrupt government such as the one currently in place in Nigeria,” he stated.
The IES Chairman, Dr. Diran Fawibe said the defaulting importers are never sanctioned, saying that the impunity in the system will not make such cases end.
He urged Authority to take action by sanctioning defaulting importers to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Though, I’m not in the position to prescribe what should be melted out to the defaulting importers, but certainly they should be sanctioned.”
He further advised that NNPC should take appropriate measures to ensure the situation is brought to an end as quickly as possible with the view of getting fuel easily to bridge the already existing gap.
“There are some volumes of fuel already in the country, all that need to be done is a matter of logistics to move the product (the clean fuel) to appropriate channels to ensure it gets to pump stations to clear off the queues,” he stated.
He said, “Marketers found hoarding fuel should be sanctioned, with heavy sanctions enough to serve as a deterrent to others.”
He advised government to mention names of defaulters for the general public to know the saboteurs who were trying to take advantage of their fellow Nigerians in the process.
