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Reps Warns Against Corruption In Petrol Distribution Chain

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The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Review of Pump Price of Petrol has said that it will not relent in recommending sanctions against any entity found involved in corruption in the petroleum distribution chain.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Raphael Igbokwe, made the remark in an interview with The Tide source in Lagos.
Igbokwe spoke on the sidelines of the committee’s visit to some government agencies and private sectors involved in transportation and distribution of petrol from the ports to the consumers.
He said that the committee would not relent in recommending any defaulter to the parliament to enable Nigerians to know those frustrating government’s efforts in making fuel available and affordable.
According to him, the committee would also commend the efforts of operators who were adding value in the value chain.
“We want to see that operators at every level are adding value to the value chain.
“At the tail end, we want Nigerians to be getting value for the money they are paying.
“One thing that clear is that subsidy had been removed but we believe that subsidy had been transferred from the government now to the people.
“People are paying for the cost differential from their own pocket. So people should be seen as getting value for their money,’’ Igbokwe said.
The law maker said that both the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had some international obligations they have to sort out.
According to him, NPA and NIMASA said they usually buy their equipment with foreign currency and render certain obligations to some clients, who paid in foreign exchange.
Igbokwe said that “to the committee, such explanation from NPA and NIMASA did not hold water at this point until the committee carry out its studies.’’
“Our committee intends to carry out economic study of what are the charges and related costs around Africa, especially in West African coast.
“To see if these charges are commensurate with what is obtainable in other areas.
“You will agree with me that such charges in foreign currency put pressure and this is one of the complaints we got from oil marketers in sourcing foreign currency.
“The charges put pressure on our local currency because these are operations taking place within the geographical areas of Nigeria,’’ Igbokwe told newsmen.
He said that all Nigerian economic activities should be naira-based, adding that the committee had challenged the government agencies for charging operators in dollars while their budgets before the parliament were reflected in naira.
The committee chairman said that government agencies charging operators foreign currency were putting pressure on the naira and creating room for devaluation and inflation.
He said that the committee would also make further findings to make comparison of what is obtainable in other places.
Igbokwe said that the monetary law did not in any way permit the dollarisation of transactions in Nigeria.
He said that all transactions in Nigeria should be domiciled in naira.
“If the price of a barrel of crude oil could be determined in consultation with the parliament and the volume of crude product daily which is standing at N2.2 million barrels per day now can be determined with the representatives of the people.
“We are thinking why the price of the product from the crude oil cannot be determined in consultation with the representatives of the people.
“Looking at the cost structure of the price template, we approached each cost element and operators at that level from the jetty charges, jetty owners, storage fees, to look at what value each player is adding in the value chain.
“We have identified possible causes of changes in price such as scarcity arising from operational inefficiency and scarcity created by players in the industry.
“Most marketers have complained of lack of access to foreign exchange.
“CBN sells the foreign exchange directly to players in the downstream sector to bring in the products and yet we found out that there were no enough products coming in.
“Our clue is pointing to the forex being released to some marketers and they are applying them for other purposes different from what they had specified the forex for.
“This is given room for lesser quantity of products coming in as per the quarterly planning of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), ‘’ Igbokwe said.
Reports have it that the committee had visited  NPA, NIMASA, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Sahara Energy, Masters Energy Oil & Gas, NIPCO Oil and Gas, among others.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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