PENGASSAN urged the management of NMDPRA to immediately mobilize all their staff in various locations across the country to monitor compliance
By Eberechi Obinagwam
As Nigerians continue to endure the scarcity and drastic hikes in fuel prices, the national leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) urged the management of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to compel all marketers and retailers to make fuel products available at approved price.
In a statement signed by the president, Comrade Festus Osifo, said: “Even though we have some good marketers who tend to play by the rules, others who are overbearing have deployed methods of creating artificial scarcities in other to hike the price of the product uncontrollably as the prices of the product now sell between N185 to N650 depending on your location and outlet.
“From data available to us from our members, there is over 30 days PMS sufficiency in the country; hence there is no basis for the current scarcity and hardship that Nigerians are being subjected to.”
According to him, PENGASSAN has been following up with it’s members in NNPC Trading Limited who are responsible for assigning the products to marketers and their teaming members from NMDPRA in various depots and terminals across the country that are responsible for issuing cargo clearance, monitoring compliance, routing inspection, metering calibration/maintenance, accurate delivery to trucks, record keeping, etc. on the need to carry out their functions expeditiously.
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Adding he said, “while we understand that the parameters imputed into the old PPPRA and now NMDPRA template has since changed because of some economic vagaries such as exchange rate fluctuation, vessel hiring cost and cost of AGO amongst others, there is no sufficient justification for PMS (Petrol) to be selling for such highly inflated price, thereby subjecting the masses to further difficulties.”
He however, urged the management of NMDPRA to immediately mobilize all their staff in various locations across the country to monitor compliance and anyone found wanting, should have their license revoked to serve as deterrent.
“Should this collusion go on unchecked, we will not hesitate to partner with other stakeholders in ensuring that Nigerians are not further exploited,” the union warns.