……NNPC Promises Remedial Action Against Importers
Four importers have been identified as being responsible for the toxic petrol that ravaged the Nigerian petrol distribution and consumption network nationwide.
They include MRS, Oando, Duke Oil and Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, and they all loaded from the same Litasco Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium.
The group managing director of Nigeria National Petroleum Company, Mele Kyari, said all the importers of the toxic petrol have been put on notice for remedial actions. He said the NNPC is working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) to take necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations.
Panicked by the widespread woes trailing the toxic petrol, which had damaged the pump systems of outlets, and vehicles of customers, the NNPC boss had summoned a meeting of petrol importers and marketers yesterday evening.
Kyari said the meeting with the oil marketers was to resolve the issues generated by the recent supply and discharge of methanol blended petrol in some Nigerian depots.
Providing a graphic chronicle of the unfortunate incident, Kyari said a report was received from its quality inspector on January 20, 2022 on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.
He said an investigation revealed the presence of Methanol in four PMS cargoes imported via the Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase (DSDP) suppliers.
According to him, the “cargoes quality certificates issued at loadport (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium indicated that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification.
“The NNPC quality inspectors including GMO, SGS, GeoChem and G&G conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification,’’ he said.
Kyari stated also that as a standard practice for all PMS import to Nigeria, the said cargoes were equally certified by inspection agent appointed by the NMDRA.
Kyari confessed however that that “the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for Percent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors.”
The NNPC boss said in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the NNPC promptly ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck & marine).
He assured members of the public of the capacity of the NNPC Limited to restore sanity in the supply and distribution of quality Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol across the country within a short period.
He said the explanations have become to make Nigerians understand the situation and not to engage in any panic buy, and to indeed keep away from the queues in their own interest.
By Chibisi Ohakah, Abuja
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