By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Nigerians especially residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the nation’s commercial nerve center, Lagos are in quagmire over the persistent fuel scarcity which has been made worse by the news of bad petrol in circulation across the country.
This is even as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has alerted Nigerians of the circulation of adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly known as petrol.
A statement issued by NMDPRA in conjunction with NNPC Limited late on Tuesday night and made available to journalists said that it wishes to inform the general public that limited quantity of petrol, with methanol quantities above Nigeria’s specification, was discovered in the supply chain.
Methanol, the statement further said “is a regular additive in petrol and usually blended in an acceptable quantity.”
However, NMDPRA said there was no reason for motorists to panic.
“To ensure vehicular and equipment safety, the limited quantity of the impacted product has been isolated and withdrawn from the market, including the loaded trucks in transit.
“Our technical team in conjunction with NNPC Ltd and other industry stakeholders, will continue to monitor and ensure quality petroleum products are adequately supplied and distributed nationwide,” the statement assured.
While not naming the culprit or sanctions to be meted out for infraction, NMDPRA simply said: “The source supplier has been identified and further commercial and appropriate actions shall be taken by the Authority and NNPC Ltd.
“NNPC Ltd and all Oil Marketing Companies have been directed to sustain sufficient distribution of Petrol in all retail outlets nationwide.
“Meanwhile, NNPC has intensified efforts at increasing the supply of petrol into the market in order to bridge any unforeseen supply gap.”
Nigerians are experience petrol scarcity with long queues returning to petrol stations in cities across the country particularly in Abuja and Lagos.
Meanwhile, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, President of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) insists that the bad fuel in circulation could not have come into the country without the tacit approval of the authority incharge of importation of PMS into to Nigeria, NNPC.
He however said he is happy that the authorities are doing everything possible to rectifying the error, just as he said that importation of good fuel is in the offing.
Also, Chinedu Okoronkwo President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has disclosed that customers who are sold the bad fuel in circulation could be compensated should the customer press charges against the particular filling station that dispensed the bad petrol to him or her.
