It was also learnt that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited might face litigation, especially if owners of filling stations find it difficult to manage the pressure from petrol users.
This came as a major oil marketer explained that methanol was prohibited in petrol imported into Nigeria, contradicting the position of the Federal Government on the acceptability of methanol in the PMS.
Consumers of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are allegedly arresting workers and owners of filling stations over the sale of adulterated products that have reportedly affected their vehicles’ engines.
Also, the NNPC, through its spokesperson, Garba-Deen Muhammad, stated on Wednesday that the oil firm had released products to help reduce the queues seen in Abuja and other parts of the country.
Speaking on the attacks on filling stations by motorists, the President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said the situation grew worse on Wednesday.
He said, “There are customers who have problems with the products they bought and are suing our retail outlet owners. They are already arresting retail outlet owners and not the NNPC, but obviously, it will still get to them (NNPC) if we cannot resolve it.
“Right now a lot of arrests have been made. That is why we are concerned and always request that we should be taken along so as to get early information.
“Retail outlet owners are being arrested now and this is because when the vehicles of customers get bad they will try to hold somebody accountable. And that is happening across the country.”
Gillis-Harry, however, stated again that the matter would be addressed in about a week time, as the adulterated products had been identified and quarantined and would require time to be fully removed from tanks.
Also speaking on the issue, the National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, confirmed that workers at retail outlets were being arrested.
He stated that about 20 filling stations in Port Harcourt had to close down due to the presence of adulterated petrol in their tanks.
Ukadike said, “We set up a team to go round and check the stations that have already been contaminated and see how evacuation will take place. Some people unknowingly sold the product and it was discovered a little bit late.
“I cannot give you all the filling stations affected now because the monitoring is still ongoing but I know in Port Harcourt we have reported about 15 or 20 stations. But we can’t mention their names due to safety reasons.”
On Tuesday, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority had said that methanol was a regular additive in petrol and usually blended in an acceptable quantity.
But in a statement issued by MRS, seen on Wednesday, the firm stated that methanol was prohibited in petrol, adding that urgent steps were taken to analyse the adulterated product to determine the basis for its contamination.
As at the time of this press release, MRS had a total of 350,000 litres in the tank at the (MRS) eight stations; we await approval from NNPC and NMDPRA for the return of the product.
“The eight stations have been isolated, but there are other tanks within the stations, which will receive an uncontaminated product for sale as soon as possible.”
MRS said it would continue to work with NNPC and NMDPRA for the evacuation of the contaminated product to NNPC, the sole supplier of the product.
“We are aware that NNPC has taken necessary steps to reject further imports of this product from Litasco /Duke Oil and/or any other trader, supplying fuels which contain ethanol/methanol into Nigeria,” the firm stated.
The company also explained the facts that resulted in the scarcity of petrol nationwide and how the adulterated product came into Nigeria.
It said, “Due to the current subsidy regime, NNPC is the sole supplier of all PMS in Nigeria. Consequently, NNPC through their trading arm Duke Oil, supplied a cargo of PMS purchased from international trader Litasco and delivered it with Motor Tanker Nord Gainer.”
