Tobias Sylvester
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that the four companies involved in the importation of adulterated fuel into the country must be held accountable for their actions.
KanyiDaily recalls that the NNPC had earlier named MRS, Emadeb Consortium, Oando, and Duke Oil as the four oil companies that imported the contaminated fuel into the country.
NNPC said the adulterated fuel was imported by the four companies from Antwerp in Belgium with quality inspectors failing to detect the high level of Methanol it contained, first at the point of import in Belgium and later at the point of arrival in Nigeria.
The company explained that the contaminated PMS was not detected because the quality checks do not include checks for Methanol percentage, adding that cargoes quality certificates issued at load port (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium indicate that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification.
The adulterated petrol has damaged vehicles of an unknown number of citizens and companies, with long queues at fuel stations in Abuja, Lagos, and some parts of the country.
Buhari Orders Sanction On Adulterated Fuel
In a statement issued on Thursday by his senior special assistant on media and publicity. Garba Shehu, the president said importers of substandard fuel must be held accountable.
He also directed service providers to fully disclose relevant information concerning the consumption of their products and compensate dissatisfied consumers as proper redress for their complaints.
According to Shehu’s statement, ”President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that producers and providers of consumable products be held accountable for substandard services and or products sold by them.
“The President has also given directives to the relevant government agencies to take every step in line with the laws of the country to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuses and social injustices.”
“In reaction to the petroleum product shortages linked to the inadvertent supply of products of foreign origin into the Nigerian market, President Buhari said the protection of consumer interests is a priority of the present administration and is ready to take all necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods.
The President also directed in line with the law, service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information with respect to the consumption of their products and that dissatisfied consumers are entitled to a proper redress of their complaints”
KanyiDaily recalls that the House of Representatives has asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to suspend the four companies that imported adulterated fuel into the country.
