The proliferation of adulterated petroleum products has been seriously condemned by the director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Mr. George Osahon at Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL) African Downstream Expo in Lagos recently.
Mr. Osahon said that the department was set to flag-off an online registration of trucks and depots to help checkmate the growing menace that had eaten deep into the fabrics of the oil and gas sector.
In his presentation at the event, Mr. George Osahon, noted that the spate of adulterations of petroleum products was a result of inadequate monitoring of products in their various depots or stations and promised that the department will not rest in its oars to see an end to the problem.
He said, “Adulterated petroleum product has been a great challenge in the downstream sector for so long and the department is on the verge of resolving these issues by providing an online monitoring registration”.
He further stated that “The department has come up with the idea of registering various trucks and depot in the country with an online system that tracks and brings to our notice any form of irregularity in the petroleum products delivered to these stations or depot.”
He however, frowned at the excessive charges on operators in the oil and gas industry, saying that DPR is out to discourage these irregularities and review the challenges so as to present a more suitable, viable and friendly industry to suit investors.
According to him “Well, you cannot expect a fueling station to be charged the sum N200,000 or thereabout per annum, the question is, how much do they earn? And how can one pay such exorbitant amount of money.
Reacting to the delay in licensing of operators, he stated that it is in the best interest of the Nigerians that proper measures are taken before issuing licenses to operators.
“Also, I am not happy with the delay in the licensing of operators intending to import petroleum products. For an operator to come on board, certain requirements and certifications, has to be made, for instance, there are environmental and community assessment exercise that must be carried out before the operator starts and he must show that he has adequate installing capacity. He must also have a depot or sign a MoU with one depot before license would be guaranteed to such operator.
He noted that, the total number of tank farms recorded in the country this year was over 149, up from 123 as at 2013.
By Emeka Chukwuaku
