Toxic Fuel: Oil, Gas Accountability Forum Commends NNPC GMD, Management for Swift Response

...Says  actions helped to  avoid disaster 

The Oil and Gas Accountability and Probity Forum (OGAPF) has commended the Group Managing Director of  Nigerian National Petroleum Company ( NNPC),Mr. Mele Kyari and his management team for the swift manner they handled the  imported methanol blended petrol from Belgium by some companies.

The forum in a statement signed by the National Chairman, Comrade Timi Douglas  noted that  ,"This is the first time NNPC management has been able to rise to a critical occasion that could have caused serious damage and  hazards to innocent  Nigerians. "  

The Statement further  read, "We are known to be a very critical partner in the oil and Gas sector, but resolved to  come out publicly to commend the Group Managing Director ,Mele Kyari and his team for taking up the challenge to inform Nigerians immediately , because the swift actions have  helped to avoid disaster and saved lives and properties .

"The  damage the  presence of methanol in the imported PMS already supplied to our filling stations would have caused to cars , households and even filling stations are better imagined."

The forum  reiterated ," For working within the shortest period to withdraw all the products  and restored sanity is a feat worthy of commendation.

"However, in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the NNPC CEO said the company promptly ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck & marine).

"We gathered that the GMD immediately relocated key management staff to Lagos in search of sustainable solutions.

"We are also aware that the NNPC was able to identify the  cargoes with the toxic Fuel and quarantined them , while all the trucks that have left the depots were tracked and intercepted."

It however , said it is appealing  to hear that NNPC was able to  restock the depot with cleaner fuels and sent officials to inspect all the filling stations to ensure that they do not have the petrol that had excessive methanol.

Meanwhile, it urged  the NNPC to  intensified efforts at increasing the supply of petrol into the market in order to bridge any unforeseen supply gap.

While blaming the four companies of having hands in the cargoes that brought Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) high in methanol into the country, the Oil and Gas Accountability and Probity Forum maintained that the indicted companies must be fished out .

"Nigerians now  know that long queues that resurfaced recently was caused by these 'careless' companies, who should ensured the quality of product imported are checked and certified .

"We have observed and noticed that  for the past three years to the 2021 yuletide  season, Nigerians didn't suffer long queues at filling stations across the country. For us , It is  enough reason to give kudos the current management of NNPC