NUPENG Calls for Probe Of Controversial Fuel Importation

The raging controversies over alleged unfair dealings in the allocation quota for importation of petroleum products for the second and third quarter of 2010 have assumed a new dimension following last week’s call by the National Union Of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) for government’s intervention in the matter.

Speaking specifically at the signing ceremony for the alliance of the Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON) and NUPENG in Lagos, the National President of NUPENG, Mr. Igwe Achese threatened that failure to probe the allegations may attract severe reactions from the union, even as he warned that government either takes the union’s advise or “or face the consequences”.

Achese signed the partnership agreement on behalf of NUPENG, while the President of JEPTFON, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, the chief executive officer of Capital Oil and Gas signed on behalf on JEPTFON.

Frowning at the alleged abuses, the NUPENG chief argued that “petroleum products allocation should be based on the platform of equity, transparency and justice, so that the major stakeholders will have enough business to do and the capacity to face future challenges in the oil and gas industry. “The present PPPRA allocation will plunge the downstream into troubled waters unless it changes its strategies”, he warned.

Shipping Position Weekly recalls that petroleum products importers have levelled allegations of foul play against the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in the processing of import allocation.

Apparently determined to cause a reversal of what it termed as imbalance in the exercise, Achese threatened that the union would not hesitate to fight if the government failed to address the controversial allocations.

“Our position on PPPRA is that government should intervene and carry out the necessary investigations in terms of how products are being allocated. Why are the firms which do not have the expected requirements in terms of facilities be given higher allocation than others? This is a crucial issue that should be ironed out. Why are those companies with small capacities are given higher volume of products to import than those that have high storage capacities?”

But defending t actions of PPPRA, its Executive Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Ibikunle had said that the process of oil importation quota was transparent, given the circumstance of number of marketers involved in the allocation process.