NNPC, Major Marketers Declare Zero Tolerance For Fuel Scarcity

ABUJA, June 18, (THEWILL) - Sustained strategies to ensure a continuous supply and distribution of petroleum products throughout the country took centre stage Thursday in Abuja at a meeting between the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC under the watch of Engr. Austen Oniwon, and members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN led by its chairman Mr. Wale Tinubu.

In a sharp departure from the past where the industry had to wait for fuel crisis to occur before stepping up remedial measures, the meeting resolved to implement some far reaching measures aimed at addressing any potential threat to free supply and distribution of petroleum products.　　

"In fact as stakeholders in the downstream sector we are committed to ensure that never again in our history must we allow Nigerians to undergo the kind of hardship they went through during the last fuel crisis. We must resolve to work together and achieve Mr. President’s directive of zero tolerance for fuel scarcity in any part of the country and I know that we have stayed long enough in this business to achieve this target,’’ Oniwon declared.

As part of the measures to promote cooperation among critical stakeholders, the NNPC GMD directed the management of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the Corporation to institute a regular roundtable with members of MOMAN and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN.

Engr. Oniwon called on MOMAN to work together with the NNPC to improve the nation’s refining capacities.

"We are inviting you to join us in the refining business so that we can collectively deliver quality products to Nigerians," he stated.

Responding on behalf of the major marketers Tinubu pledged the commitment of MOMAN to align with the government’s aspiration of zero tolerance for fuel scarcity. He thanked the GMD for initiating the new found relationship between oil marketers and the Corporation.

"We really want to go back the way we were before to ensure that we become the primary source of supply to the consumers,’’ Tinubu said.