Day: August 7, 2020

The National Leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has directed petroleum tanker drivers to withdraw their services from Lagos State with effect from Monday.

NUPENG said on Friday that the directive followed the failure of various authorities in the state to address three major issues that had severely caused petroleum tanker drivers pains and harrowing experiences in the state for several months now.

It said this in a statement signed by the National President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi, with the title ‘NUPENG leadership directs withdrawal of services by petroleum tanker drivers in Lagos State with effect from Monday, August 10, 2020.’Ad

The union said, “The entire rank and file members of the union are deeply pained, frustrated and agonised by the barrage of these challenges being consistently faced by petroleum tanker drivers in Lagos State and are left with no other option but to direct the withdrawal of their services in Lagos State until the Lagos State Government and other relevant stakeholders address these critical challenges.

“It is sad and disheartening to note here that we had made several appeals and reports to the Lagos State Government and the Presidential Task Force for the decongestion of Apapa on these challenges but all to no avail.”

NUPENG said it had made wide consultations with various leadership organs of its union and with other key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.

It said it “resolved to embark on an indefinite strike beginning from 12 am, Monday, August 10, 2020, if there are no decisive and convincing actions from the Lagos State Government to address these concerns and challenges.”

source: Punch

A modular refinery, expected to process 5500 barrels of crude oil per day in Edo is about 70 per cent completed, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki said yesterday.

Being constructed by the Edo Modular and Refinery Company Limited, and AIPCC Energy, Obaseki said the project would recalibrate the state’s industrial base, birthed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Obaseki, was quoted in a statement that the refinery located at Ologbo in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area (LGA), would produce from its feedstock 50 per cent of diesel (500,000 litres), 25 percent of naphtha (300,000 litres), and 20 percent of fuel oil (200,000) litres. The crude would be sourced from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC) facility – oil mining lease (OML) 111, near Benin City.
Obaseki added that the Chinese consortium handling the construction of the refinery is made up of Peiyang Chemical Equipment Company of China (PCC), Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (SIPS), and African Infrastructure Partners (AIP).

To him, the modular refinery is among the growing list of ongoing legacy projects through MoU with local and international private investors, which include the already completed 55MW CCTEC Ossiomo Power Plant; the ongoing Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park; and the Benin River Port, for which preliminary works are ongoing.

“The local content component of the refinery project ensures that Edo citizens are trained in welding, refinery operation and fabrication work to enable them to participate in the construction of the refinery as well as its operation, post-commissioning. The refinery is at 70 percent completion and we are very sure that it will soon be ready for commissioning,” Obaseki was quoted.

The actualisation of the project he said was premised on smart thinking and financial savviness.The state had earlier approved the release of N700 million as redeemable preference shares (investment) in the refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited.

The venture is expected to create legitimate employment opportunities thereby reducing poverty, provide job opportunities for teeming youths in the communities, facilitate the establishment of a fabrication yard as proposed by the promoters, and create a basis for expertise, professionalism and further training in the oil and gas industry.

Source: TheGuardian

The South West chapter of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has directed all its members in the zone to increase the dispensing pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petroleum from N143 to N150 in their respective filling stations.

IPMAN South-West Zonal chairman, Alhaji Dele Tajudeen who spoke with journalists on Thursday in Abeokuta, said the directive became necessary in order to avert the planned shutdown of petroleum filling stations across the zone.

He explained that the decision to increase the dispensing price followed a new price regime announced by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) which increased the depot price of the product from N133. 72k to N138. 62k without consulting with other critical stakeholders like IPMAN.

While berating the PPPRA for what he described as “policy inconsistency”, Tajudeen further told journalists that PPPRA’s new depot price has subjected IPMAN members to a serious dilemma and after careful deliberations and consideration of many factors, IPMAN zonal Executive Committee arrived at the conclusion of increasing the pump price to N150 rather than joining saboteurs at creating artificial scarcity of the product.

It would be recalled that the Downstream Subsidiary of NNPC, Petroleum Products Marketing Company ( PPMC) on Tuesday in a memo signed by its Manager, Sales, Mohammed Bello fixed ex-Depot of petrol to 138.62 per litre with directive to take effect from August 5th 2020.

According to the memo, ex-depot price of diesel was fixed at N160 and N165 per litre for Lagos and Oghara respectively, while ex-depot for kerosene was 160 per litre.

But the zonal chairman further stated that the new price regime of N138. 62 as announced by the government, came as a surprise to his members who were not given any directive as to what the new pump price should be even after 48 hours of waiting for the PPPRA and its parent body, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“After careful deliberations and consideration of many factors, the IPMAN Zonal officers hereby declared that all its members should henceforth increase their pump price to N150 and shelves the plan of total close down of petrol stations across the South West.More in Home

He said the PPPRA is not consistent and in organise in dealing with the stakeholders, saying that the normal thing to have done was to involve marketers, and other parties before announcing any increment.

“Even after announcing the new ex-depot price they should have fixed the pump price for markers to prevent unnecessary debt”, Tajudeen stated.

He further expressed dissatisfaction at PPRA’s action which he said failed to consider the welfare of its members, most of whom he claimed conduct their businesses with bank loans.

“It is very disheartening to hear that a new price regime is coming to effect, without considering the plight of marketers who bought these products at an expensive price

“And Federal Government needs to know that some of us obtained loans from banks to run this business and we have to pay interest on them.

“We are still struggling with debts incurred before this increase with nothing to show for it, or how can somebody work with only N2.00, and yet we will pay workers, maintain the loan and also fulfill our obligations to the government.

“Yes, it is mandatory that we meet the needs of FIRS, pay State taxes, DPR fees, pay Weight and measure fees, pay salaries of our workers, pay Union dues, pay our insurance fees and of course, buy diesel to power generators at our various filling stations. So, when we removed all these expenses we are left with almost nothing”. IPMAN chairman stated emotionally.

Vanguard News Nigeria

Barring last-minute interventions from the Presidency over the new adjustment in the prices of petroleum products in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulating Agency and Petroleum marketers are set on a collision course that is likely to affect the distribution of products in the country.

According to the top industry stakeholder, “though it is not something that should cause any worry ordinarily, under the current situation, those who are in the office cannot just pick their pen and endorse advice that can cause major harm to those who are dealing directly with consumers.

“There is an N3:80k deduction from what is due to the Marketers which the PPPRA had wrongly advised the NNPC to implement and it is a cost which the Marketers are unwilling to transfer to the consumers.

“We expect the government to wade into the matter and settle it among us amicably so that the distribution of products would not be affected in any way.

“Ordinarily, what the marketers expected was not a deduction but an improvement in what the Marketers were getting as the margin, but you would be shocked that what we are getting is to go and work with a reduction in what is due to us.

“Meanwhile, the screaming headlines in the media are calling out Marketers as if we were the ones making life unbearable for Nigerians.” the sources submitted.

“You will observe that since I called you, I have told you that I am a Stakeholder but I did not tell you if I was speaking for MOMAN or IPMAN.

“Just go and see the headlines in some national papers today, Marketers are being called out on the issue of the new pump prices and not those who are in the boardroom and deciding the fate of everyone else, including the consumers.

“We do hope that those who appointed them will step in and resolve the grey areas so that we can prevent unnecessary tension in the country.

“It does not make any business sense for any Marketer to invest in outlets and deliberately take steps that would affect the flow of supply in the outlets.

“Whether Marketers are members of Major or Independent Marketers Association, they are both in the business of product distribution and are both facing the same challenges from the Depot to their outlets.

In his words, “honestly my brother, I cannot make comments now because as we speak, I am even bereaved. I lost my father on Sallah day and we are still on family matters.

“We all saw the new pricing regime in the media while we were still away on holidays, and my family engagements have made me stay away from Abuja longer than I had planned.

“As soon as I get any information that the media can use on the matter, I will surely get back to you.

Source: vanguardngr.com