PEF’s ‘Project Aquila’ Excites Stakeholders

Stakeholders in the nation’s petroleum downstream sector have applauded “Project Aquila”, the new e-business solution, introduced by the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Management) Board to promote service delivery.

The commendation came from the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), NNPC Retail Ltd., and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD).

Their representatives spoke on Friday in Abuja at the Stakeholders’ Forum organised by the PEFMB to sensitise them on the implementation of “Project Aquila”.

They lauded the electronic business solution as a welcome development and performance-enhancing, which had led to the current stability in the supply and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.

Alhaji Lawal Isah, the National Coordinator of NARTO, thanked PEFMB for introducing “Project Aquila”, saying it had enhanced the payment of the national transportation allowance to NARTO members as well as ensured regular payment to members for bridging products.

He also applauded the measures adopted by PEFMB to collect the allowances due to it from other stakeholders, including importers of petroleum products and marketers.

“This has placed you in a better position and enhanced your ability to settle those who lift the products,” Isah said.

He recalled the agency’s repeated appeals to the Federal Government to pay the outstanding debts owed transporters and marketers for over seven years, which yielded fruits with the release of N17.4 billion to PEFMB to off-set the arrears.

Isah described as exemplary, the measures put in place so far by PEFMB’s Executive Secretary, Mrs Adefunke Kasali, to streamline the movement of products, ensure proper documentation and drive the processing of marketers’ claims.

In his remarks, Malam Aminu Abdulkadir, the IPMAN National President, praised PEFMB for maintaining good and regular consultations with stakeholders, saying that “it has helped so much in strengthening relationships and sorting out issues.”

Acting Executive Secretary of MOMAN, Mr Kola Adams, said however, that PEFMB still had some issues with “meeting up on reconciliation of claims with petroleum products marketers, especially the major marketers.’’

Adams expressed the hope that “Project Aquila’’ would assist PEFMB to provide real time, on-line information for faster processes and payment.

Managing Director of the NNPC Retail, Dr Raphael Ajiboye expressed delight with the introduction of the e-solution, which, he added, would be of immense benefit to the petroleum industry’s downstream.

He commended the agency for the cordial relationship between PEFMB and NNPC Retail, which had helped both establishments “to sort out their outstanding issues’’.

Ajiboye also pledged the NNPC Retail’s resolve to support the agency “whenever necessary.’’

A representative of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) said that his members would first wait for the implementation of the know-how to determine how it would impact on the members’ economy and welfare.

He said the PTD would appreciate “project aquila” if it encouraged regular payment of their claims.

The Tide source quotes Kasali as saying that PEFMB will begin to deploy the project by Dec. 13, with plans to extend the operation fully to cover all the agency’s 40 depots across the country by the first quarter of 2010.