OPEC means
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries like Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, United Arab Emirate, and Libya etc. using Nigeria as a case study. We
cannot recall numerous period of fuel scarcity in Nigeria. More especially PMS
(Petrol) in different part of the country. Nigeria being a member of OPEC
should be a true a true representative of the organization, because the beauty
of every organization is accessed from the welfare standard of its members. If
I am the Chief of OPEC, I will sanction Nigeria from the group for so many
reasons:
One is that a country which could not provide sufficient
petrol to its citizen is not qualified to be member of Organization, even if it
has it as gift or manufacturers it.
Nigeria has been a victim of fuel scarcity for years. Irrespective of the fact
that it is blessed with crude oil as mineral resources. Why then should the
nations that are not members of OPEC better off than the members like Nigeria
in economy, especially in PMS supply to its citizens? It is nothing but Poor
Management. But before we should export to other countries let us sit down and
share the resources to the masses in need of them at an affordable price. Then,
we can step forward to negotiate with foreign countries. That Nigeria economy
is bad is not an excuse for fuel scarcity. The Government has what it takes to
regulates the economy to the standard, it’s suppose to be, but the bad eggs in
politics will never allow the stability of economy to take place. The problem
is not with the president or governors but their concubines who slaughter the
economy with knife and ask who did it? It’s high time the government should sit
down and look at the oil industry and Agriculture with critical eyes because
that is the bed rock of the economy.
Secondly, the substandard filling Stations owned by
independent marketers are also contributing immensely to the fuel scarcity in
the nation. Whereby filling station management diverts the 33,000 liters of PMS, DPK or AGO loaded from refineries in Nigeria to different private
marketers who are not responsible for it but demanded it at an affordable price
that will pay the owner for Illegal exportation. Series of Cases like this has
been experienced during Obasanjo’s regime in Eleme refinery Port Harcourt. As a
result, the State Government set up monitoring teams to monitor each allocation
to its proper destination. Yet this does not solve the problem as these IPMAN
Filling Stations will at mid night after negotiating with those illegal buyers
of PMS or DPK will still siphon back the 33,000 liters fuel tanker truck may be
3000 liters of PMS or DPK will be reserved for sale to the public. Now on the
day of sale, the filling station will sell fuel for thirty minutes and close
down for the day. To start the following day and continuous selling of 3000
liters. In this case only few vehicles will be lucky to get fuel out of long
queue of cars. The practices continue like that:
These practices are common in the eastern, western and
Southern part of Nigeria, where corruption is the highest order of the day and
if the Federal government overlooks the situation it will get worse in the
couple of years to come. Now, The Independent Marketers Association(IPMAN)
members should within themselves know that hoarding if fuel is a crime and sort
out these issues within themselves before the federal government will steps in
and face it squarely. And I wonder why some filling station are in operational
without necessary certification clearance like Storage License from DPR, Fire
Certificate from Federal or State fire service, The lifting right and Bulk purchase documents from
Petroleum Pipe Line and Marketing
Company (PPMC). When a filling Station does not possess at least two of
these document. It should be sanction by DPR till further notice.
NEWS REPORTER: ONYIA
EMEKA HARFORD
CONTACT:
+2348186388641
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