One of the three oil companies that were contracted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to assist in the distribution of imported petroleum products; Rahamanniya Oil and Gas Company says that it has so far discharged 10 tanker loads of petroleum products since the partnership began.
Shipping Position Weekly recalls that three oil companies were short listed by the NNPC after the visit of the minister of state for petroleum Mr. Odein Ajumogobia to their jetty and depot facilities in Lagos.
The decision to use the three companies was taken in the wake of the last nation-wide fuel scarcity and as a move towards ensuring that the essential commodity reaches all parts of the country.
Our correspondent was told that the company has since been receiving the products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and it has in-fact handled more than 10 vessels laden with the products.
Shipping Position Weekly recalls that three oil companies were short listed by the NNPC after the visit of the minister of state for petroleum Mr. Odein Ajumogobia to their jetty and depot facilities in Lagos.
The decision to use the three companies was taken in the wake of the last nation-wide fuel scarcity and as a move towards ensuring that the essential commodity reaches all parts of the country.
Our correspondent was told that the company has since been receiving the products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and it has in-fact handled more than 10 vessels laden with the products.
One of takers, MT AOG Carribe was actually sighted by our correspondent while discharging the products at the jetty last week. An official of the company explained that “the vessels have started discharging here, and for us, we will continue to play our role by making fuel available to the people, our facility is still capable of handling more products” even as he added that “if government can utilize 50 percent of the depot facilities available in Lagos alone, we can be sure of getting over the problem of scarcity”.
Corroborating this, the depot manager of the company, Mr. Balla Danmanu also added that that there is still need for more development in the oil sector and advocated for more private sector investment and partnership with the government in other to ensure that the refineries are working in full capacity and to build more “Greenfield” refineries so as to bridge the huge gap between the quantity of petroleum products produced and the nation’s consumption requirement. In his words: “in other for the industry to grow better, we still need people to invest in our refineries because it is obvious that government alone can not handle it”.
On the proposed policy of deregulation and subsequent removal of subsidy, Danmanu said that it will be the best policy for the oil industry, even as he claimed that the money used in subsidizing the products is always delayed by the government before it is paid to the importer and that is why they are clamouring for its removal so that they can sell at their individual prices.
Discussion about this post