There is palpable fear of another round of petroleum scarcity in Nigeria as the Federal Government has temporarily suspended petroleum tanker drivers from loading products from petroleum tank farms at Ibafon and Ibru jetty.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that the directive was issued in order to allow the completion of the on-going rehabilitation of the Coconut end of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway by construction company, Julius Berger.
There is palpable fear of another round of petroleum scarcity in Nigeria as the Federal Government has temporarily suspended petroleum tanker drivers from loading products from petroleum tank farms at Ibafon and Ibru jetty.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that the directive was issued in order to allow the completion of the on-going rehabilitation of the Coconut end of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway by construction company, Julius Berger.
Vice Chairman of Ascon Uinit of NUPENG, Comrade Owolabi Jimoh disclosed to our correspondent that Julius Berger had complained bitterly to the Federal Government that the activities of the tank farms were disturbing construction of the road.
Subsequently, the government directed the national headquarters of NUPENG under the leadership of Comrade Igwe Achese to withdraw all petroleum tankers from the Apapa expressway.
Shipping Position Daily correspondent who visited the depot noted that the entire area has suddenly become a ghost town.
Even though he assured that the situation might not necessarily lead to fuel scarcity, Owolabi confirmed that tanker drivers have not been working at Ibru and Ibafon jetty for the past two weeks.
"We have not been working since last week; the order came from above, from our national leaders and the Federal Government"
"They told us that Julius Berger is complaining that tanker drivers are not allowing them free access to complete the road construction, last week Berger only gave us Saturday to work, and this week we have not loaded products at all" Owolabi confirmed
He said that Task Forces from the Zonal Council of NUPENG had since last week impounded several trucks that violated the directive.
He said that the trucks were towed to the Orile truck park while the owners were asked to bail them with N400,000.
Our correspondent however gathered there are not less than 20 petroleum tank farms at Ibru and Ibafon Jetty. The axis also accounts for not less than 50 percent of the total distribution of patrol in Nigeria.
For the time being, fuel marketers have been asked to divert their activities to depots around Kirikri, Dockyard and Creek Road areas of Apapa.
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