NAN-HE-12
Depot
Lagos, Oct. 18, 2016 (NAN) Former Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, on Tuesday said marketers have not loaded any products from the Mosinmi depot for the past seven months.
Tajudeen made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos.
He added that businesses had been grounded due to non-availability of petroleum products at Mosinmi depot.
Tajudeen said the depot served as the central point for all marketers in the western zone.
“For over seven months now, marketers have not loaded any products from the depot.’’
According to him, Mosinmi depot has turned to a grave yard. No business activities there; marketers have suffered greatly due to non-availability of products.
“The shutdown of pumping of product to Mosinmi has affected our business, including the petty traders who had left the premises.
“It has also affected business activities within Ikorodu, Ishagamu, Abeokuta and its environs who depend on marketers to survive’’, he said.
The IPMAN ex-chairman said the situation had lead to the untimely death of some members who borrowed money to do business, but could not load products due to the ongoing challenges.
He said this had led to the death of some members who had high blood pressure, hypertension and other ailments.
“Majority of our members borrowed money from banks to do business; banks do not know whether you are working or not, they continue to charge you.’’
Tajudeen said that the association understood the challenges of the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), especially the vandalism of product-bearing pipes.
“The pipes belong to all of us not about government losing but all Nigerians are losing.
“As far as I know, government has lost over N8.6 billion to pipe vandalism from Atlas Cove to Mosinmi depot between January and April 2016,.
“There is no reasonable person that will continue to embark on pumping of products with the huge losses’’, Tajudeen said.
Tajudeen urged all stakeholders to join hands to support the NNPC in providing adequate protection for the pipes.
He commended NNPC’s efforts toward finding lasting solution to pipe vandalism.
“We have been told that the pumping of products from the system 2B to Mosinmi would commence by November, we pray that those who are perpetuating the evil act would be brought to book.’’
He urged management of NNPC to include the association in the policing of the pipe network to ease product pumping across the western zone.
Tajudeen also appealed to vandals to desist from the act which has negative effect on the socio-economic growth of the nation and the well-being of Nigerians.
He pledged IPMAN’s continuous support in tackling the menace of pipe vandalism through effective monitoring and policing of the network. (NAN)
YO/EAL/IEA
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/Idahosa Asowata
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