Oil marketers have commenced the compilation of losses incurred by filling stations as a result of the purchase of bad fuel imported into Nigeria in January and shall be demanding compensation from the Federal Government, it was learnt on Sunday.
Filling station owners under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, the largest operators of retail outlets across the country, described the losses incurred due to the purchase of the methanol-blended fuel as terrible.
The National Secretary, IPMAN, Chief John Kekeocha, told our correspondent that the contaminated Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, had stopped the operations of many filling, a development that contributed to the lingering fuel scarcity.
Asked whether marketers had met the government as regards this concern, he replied, “Yes arrangements are on ground. IPMAN is making a serious arrangement, collating all marketers who suffered this great loss together.
“We are making arrangements to meet with the government to ensure that all these people who incurred this terrible loss are compensated.”
When asked to stated the amount of compensation to be made, Kekeocha replied, “Up till now we are still on the compilation and collation because it is something that affects many marketers in various parts of the country.
“We are getting the reports gradually. So when the proper collations are made, we will then present a wholesome request to the government.
“We shall be giving them details and they will now give us an idea on how the marketers will be compensated.”
The PUNCH had recently reported exclusively that the Federal Government had drafted a team of technical experts from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the downstream regulator, among other stakeholders, to manage the crisis occasioned by the imported adulterated fuel.
NNPC spokesperson, Garba-Deen Muhammad, had confirmed to our correspondent that a technical committee had been set up to look into the matter, how the contaminated products would be managed and other issues around compensation.
“The first thing is to ensure that it is recalled and not in circulation. There are various ways of handling this kind of product; we will leave that to the technical committee that has been set up,” Muhammad had stated.
He added, “This committee is drawn from MOMAN, DAPPMAN, downstream regulator, NNPC, from all stakeholders. They all have technical people and know the best way to handle this kind of product and other issues around it.”
Meanwhile, the queues for petrol continued on Sunday in Abuja and many other states, as motorists still besieged the few filling stations that dispensed products.
Providing explanation why the queues had persisted, the IPMAN secretary stated that the crisis caused by the imports of the bad fuel was not envisaged and that it would take time to address.
Kekeocha said, “This sudden recurrence of scarcity in the country was due to the confusion over the importation of bad fuel. When that fuel came in and it was discovered that it was adulterated, it led to this widespread crisis.
“The government had to stop the distribution and, of course, had to make immediate arrangements to bring in more products, which they have started loading and trying to circulate throughout the country. We hope that the scarcity will end soon.”
