16th September, 2014
Unless immediate action is taken by the government, another round of fuel scarcity will hit the country very soon. This is due to the non-supply of petroleum products like premium motor spirit, PMS, and dual purpose kerosene, DPK to the Mosimi depot in Lagos. Dele Tajudeen Lamidi, chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, gave the warning at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos.
According to him, though petrol is available at Mosimi depot, Kerosene and diesel were not getting to the depot. The absence of the storage facilities for kerosene at Atlas Cove, Lagos, makes it impossible for the products to be transported to Mosimi depot.
The Federal Government’s desire to deregulate the sector has always brought IPMAN on a collision course with the government, with IPMAN insisting that government should not deregulate the downstream sector without passing the much awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). IPMAN believes that the bill would ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders.
Apart from the non supply of petroleum products to the Mosimi depot, the crisis rocking IPMAN over alleged misappropriation of funds by principal officers of the union, may disrupt the smooth supply of petroleum products. Adeleke Dada, a leader of a faction of the association, alleged that Lamidi’s executive misappropriated N500 million from the association’s account.
Lamidi has challenged his accusers to prove the allegation, saying the allegation is malicious, spurious, unfounded and baseless. He said Mosimi depot branch of the association could not boast of N100 million in its account let alone N500 million. Lamidi advised his opponents not to destabilise the association in the bid to achieve their individual ambitions.
We believe that the nation could be spared another round of fuel scarcity if the right things are done. Why is it so difficult to provide storage facilities at the Mosimi and Atlas Cove depots?
We also advise IPMAN factions to sheathe their swords and resolve their differences amicably to prevent any form of dislocation in the distribution channels of petroleum products. Officials who are nursing grievances against one another should follow the union’s established procedures in resolving such issues. Hauling brickbats at one another would only exacerbate the crisis and possibly precipate another round of fuel scarcity.