NAN-HE-7
IPMAN
Lagos, April 11, 2017 (NAN) The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Tuesday said the re-opening of Mosinmi and Ejigbo Depots for loading of petroleum products would alleviate the sufferings of marketers.
Alhaji Debo Ahmed, the IPMAN Chairman, Western zone, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN reports that the system 2B pipelines network of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was shut down in April, 2016 due to frequent activities of vandals.
The system 2B pipelines pumps petroleum products from Atlas Cove to Ejigbo and Mosinmi in Ogun to Ibadan-Ore in Ondo State and Ilorin in Kwara.
Ahmed said that resumption of loading at the depots had relived marketers of stress of going to Apapa private depot to load petroleum products.
He said that re-opening of the depots would also reduce traffic and long queues of trucks waiting to load.
Ahmed said that closure of the depots had crippled commercial activities in the areas.
According to him, at some point, commercial activities that thrive in this area had to be moved to Lagos.
‘‘We can see that vandalism causes huge loss, not only to NNPC, but to the host communities and the general public,’’ he said.
Ahmed, while expressing IPMAN’s appreciation to NNPC for reopening the two depots, said that this would reduce the cost of loading at the Apapa private depots.
‘‘We thank NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Makanti Baru, for revamping the critical oil and gas infrastructure that will aid effective distribution of petroleum products across the country,” he said.
A NAN Correspondent, who monitored situations at Ejigbo and Mosinmi Depots, reports that loading had commenced.
NAN reports that there were long queues of trucks waiting to load at the two depots.
At Ejigbo Depot, a security man, who identified himself as Godwin Yahaya, told NAN that he had hectic time controlling traffic to ensure that the truck drivers comply with traffic rules.
Yahaya said that the depot had commenced a 24-hour service to ease loading and regulate traffic around the areas. (NAN)
YO/MOL/GOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Olagoke Olatoye