30-Day Ultimatum Exposes Illicit Petroleum Deals Among Marketers

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Little is known of illicit transactions among petroleum marketers in Lagos, until the Lagos state government rose to the challenge to address the excruciating pain suffered by motorists and residents of Apapa as a result of excesses of petroleum tankers and trailers on that axis.

Following incessant complaints and petitions over the menace, the Lagos State government penultimate week announced the suspension of approval for development of tank farms in Apapa as part of its renewed efforts to restore sanity in the state completely as well as fashion out immediate and long – term solution along the Oshodi-Apapa corridor and prevent a repeat of the chaos caused by containerised trucks and tankers parked on the road.

The decision came after a closed door meeting with stakeholders in the maritime and transport sectors, including Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Shippers Council, Tank Farm Owners, Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR), security agencies and clearing and forwarding agents, held at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja and chaired by the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, where the state government also resolved to accelerate and complete work on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Trailer Park in Orile, Lagos, within a month.

However, investigation by our correspondent revealed that part of the congestion was mostly caused by petroleum tankers, many who queue to transact illegitimate business offered by some unyielding marketers.

According to an impeccable source in the industry, members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria ( DAPPMAN ) are the ones engaged in the junk business.

Though, the national president of IPMAN, Chinedu Okoronkwo, denied the allegations but chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Sikiru Kaka, told our correspondent that IPMAN and DAPPMAN members were in the habit of issuing receipts to transporters over and above their holding capacity.

“What we have observed for instance is that the marketers provide false information about availability of products in the tank farms. Whereas, they have products to serve 100 tankers, they would issue receipts and collect money from over 200 tankers, in anticipation of petroleum products that are yet to arrive and when they serve out the volume in their facilities, the rest tankers will continue to queue and wait for products to arrive since they have paid,” he said.

Continuing, he said some of the marketers would queue, take supply and resell to other awaiting takers and return to queue again. According to his explanation, a marketer would receive allocation of 33,000 liters of petrol and at the same point, transloads to a waiting tanker who has offered a higher bid above depot price and in turn transloads to another waiting buyer with a higher bid and in that projection, a particular product designated for a particular station finds its way to a different location without trace.

Courtesy: www.leadership.ng