A civil society group, Concerned Nigerians, has threatened to storm NNPC Towers with protest if the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari, fails to sanction the importers of “contaminated fuel” into the country.
There has been a scarcity of fuel in some major cities in the country with motorists queuing for hours in filling stations seeking to purchase fuel, arising from the importation of adulterated fuel by some marketers.
Now, the civil society group in a letter dated February 14, 2022, and addressed to the Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari, said it was embarrassing that the NNPC which ordinarily should serve as the regulator of the independent marketers is making unguarded comments instead of penalizing the importers of the adulterated fuel.
The group in the letter signed by the Convener Comrade Deji Adeyanju maintained that it is either that the NNPC lacks the political will to punish the offenders or the corporation has been so compromised that it permits all manner of contaminated products into the country, at the detriment of law-abiding Nigerians.
They called for the immediate sanction of the defaulters and demanded that they should also be fined, and the fines be channelled towards cleaning the contaminated fuel.
The letter reads: “You are aware that in recent weeks, there has been a resurgence of fuel queues across the country, arising from the importation of contaminated fuel by Duke Oil Services Ltd and some Nigerian Marketers.
“The foregoing has created severe hardship for the average Nigerian who has lost valuable man-hours. We, however, note with dismay that more than two weeks after the issue came to light, there has been no attempt whatsoever to penalise the importers of the contaminated fuel. What we have, however, witnessed is an embarrassing exchange of words between, NNPC, who ordinarily should serve as the regulator, and the independent marketers.
“The only deduction one can make from the foregoing is that either NNPC lacks the political will to punish the offenders, or the Corporation has been so compromised that it permits all manner of contaminated products into the country, at the detriment of law-abiding Nigerians.
“We, therefore, call on the NNPC to immediately sanction every individual and entity who is remotely involved in the importation of contaminated fuel into Nigeria and also fine them in this regard. This will not only serve as a warning to future defaulters but the fines recoverable from such penalty shall be channelled towards cleaning the contaminated fuel.
“In addition to the above, we urge that all entities involved in the importation of the contaminated fuel be banned from importing fuel into Nigeria for the next two years. Failure to take the recommended steps will lead to several coordinated protests at the NNPC.
