The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited started its week with an assurance to Nigerians that the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) would soon normalise after it recalled the bad product imported into the country last week.
The NNPC Group Executive Director (GED) Downstream, Adetunji Adeyemi, gave the assurance at a briefing in Abuja, while concerted efforts were being made to end the challenges in the supply of petrol.
Adeyemi stated that the company was expecting over 2.3 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the country by the end of February and that over 1 billion litres of the product were currently being distributed nationwide.
He assured that the product being dispensed at various filling stations in the country was safe, as the expected 2.3 billion litres would restore the sufficiency level above the national target of 30 days.
Adeyemi explained that in order to accelerate PMS distribution across the country, the company had commenced 24 hours’ operations at its depots and retail outlets.
He disclosed that NNPC had constituted a monitoring team, with the support of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and other security agencies to ensure smooth distribution of PMS nationwide.
In the meantime, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Rep. Abdullahi Gaya, assured Nigerians that his Committee would handle companies who imported methanol-blended Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into the country.
A statement by Mr Garba Deen Muhammad, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC Limited, quoted Gaya as responding to a question from one of the committee members in that regard.
Gaya spoke during an engagement with Management of the NNPC organised by his committee on the current fuel situation in the country.
While briefing the committee, the NNPC CEO/GMD, Malam Mele Kyari, explained that the situation came about as a result of the discovery of methanol in the PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria under the subsisting commercial contract operated by NNPC and its partners.
According to Kyari, tests did not reveal methanol presence because Nigeria’s specifications do not include methanol.
“We are a law-abiding company. There is no way we could have known about the methanol presence.
“The only way we could have known about it is if our suppliers, in good faith, made the disclosure to us.
“In this particular instance, the discovery was made by our inspection agents who noticed the emulsification at the filling stations and brought it to our attention.
“Subsequent investigation revealed that the four cargoes which are all from the same source also contained methanol-blended PMS,” Kyari said.
He said NNPC moved swiftly to trace all the affected products and quarantine same.
While assuring the Committee and Nigerians that measures have been put in place to accelerate fuel supply and distribution in the country, the NNPC CEO said the company had placed significant orders of over 2.1billion liters of methanol-free PMS to ensure the queues vanish in few days.
He pledged that NNPC would co-operate with the committee and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to get to the root of the matter.
The NNPC CEO also expressed deep empathy with Nigerians on the current situation and assured that adequate measures have been put in place to maintain supply sufficiency and prevent future occurrence.