One Year After, Fatgbems Depot Prepares To Receive Petroleum Products

One year after it suddenly stopped receiving petroleum products at its storage tank farm in Lagos, one of the downstream operators in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, Fatgbems Oil and Gas Limited, is set to resume downstream activities again as sources say the company is preparing to receive its first product of the year.

One year after it suddenly stopped receiving petroleum products at its storage tank farm in Lagos, one of the downstream operators in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, Fatgbems Oil and Gas Limited, is set to resume downstream activities again as sources say the company is preparing to receive its first product of the year.
Shipping Position Daily correspondent visited the tank farm which is one among several tank farms scattered around the Kirikiri axis of Apapa, Lagos where it was rumored that the chairman of the company; Alhaji Fatai Gbemisola has been allegedly bedridden for a long time, a  development which has led to the company’s inability to operate.
A reliable source also told our correspondent that the issue was further compounded by the company’s inability to secure loans from the banks to augment the importation of petroleum products.
“The chairman has been very ill, no doubt about that, he was even here two weeks ago to see the state of the depot” the source said.
Our correspondent also noticed that the petty traders and food vendors that are usually hanging around each of the tank farms in Apapa are no longer in the area due to its emptiness, while majority of them have diverted their attention to more active areas.
When our correspondent visited the depot few months ago, there were no sign of activities at the depot, but last week, sources confirmed that the company is already preparing to receive its first product after about one year of inactivity.
Members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) unit of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) attached to the depot also told our correspondent that the long wait has been very frustrating and that they have been affected.
“Many of our members have diverted their services elsewhere due to the lack of products here, it is expected because many of us live on daily money that we earn, the only people that were able to survive the draught are our chairmen”, one of them said.
Efforts to speak with the chairman of the unit proved abortive as at press time as he was not ready to comment on the subject.
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