…………N/Assembly Lawmakers Call for Immediate Sanctions,
Some of the companies named by the Nigeria National Petroleum (NNPC) as culprits in the reigning toxic petrol saga have distanced themselves from the assertions of the state oil company.
Yesterday, the NNPC made a broadcast alleging that MRS, Oando, Duke Oil and the consortium of Emadeb/Hyde/AYMaikifi/Brittania-U imported the methanol-laden products from the same Litasco trading Terminal, in Antwerp-Belgium.
The companies issued statements yesterday stating their positions in the matter. While MRS made an outright denial of any they hand in the importation, they pointed accusing fingers on the NNPC, implying that Nigerians should hold them responsible for what befell the country.
MRS claimed in a release yesterday that the petrol brought into MRS facilities was imported by Duke Oil, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. MRS alleged that “NNPC through their trading arm Duke Oil supplied a cargo of PMS purchased from international trader Litasco and delivered to it (MRS) with Motor Tanker (MT) Nord Gainer.”
MRS spelt it out in the release, and perhaps as reminder that, “due to subsidy regime, NNPC is the sole supplier of all PMS in Nigeria.”
Emadeb who is lead-partner in their Consortium, also in a public statement yesterday said only one member, Brittania-U, is working with the NNPC in importation capacity.
Emadeb Energy Services said the blanket claims made against the Consortium by the NNPC is misleading.
“We also deem it necessary to protect our image as we have invested a lot in building our respective brands in the industry,” Emadeb said.
The company held that Brittania-U Nigeria Limited was the sole supplier of the 90,000MT of PMS delivered via MT Torm Hilde with laycan between January 2 and 4, 2022.
“At the formation of the Consortium in May 2021 by NNPC, Brittania-U refused to execute the Service and Consortium Agreement submitted to NNPC in fulfillment of the award of the DSDP Contract. Emadeb, as the lead of the Consortium, engaged Brittania-U severally and they insisted on dealing with NNPC independently.
“NNPC was expressly notified about this by the other Consortium members via a letter dated June 2, 2021,” Emadeb stated, adding that the NNPC should also deal singularly with Brittania-U as it had been doing rather than drag the consortium to the mud.
The toxic petrol saga caused hullabaloo in the House of Representatives yesterday at plenary with members calling for serious sanctions against the defaulters. Before rising from the plenary the House however resolved to investigate the matter beyond the claims of the NNPC, especially as the accused firms and coming up with counter claims.
By Chibisi Ohakah, Abuja
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