Stakeholders Push For Re-opening Of NNPC Depot

Stakeholders in petroleum products marketing have met in Umuahia to find a lasting solution to the continued closure of the NNPC Depot in Osisioma near Aba in Abia.

Our correspondent reports that the depot was shut down in 2008, following complaints of pipeline vandalism.

Efforts by the State Government and stakeholders, including the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Osisioma Branch, to re-open it failed.

However, at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday in Umuahia, the Products and Pipelines Marketing Company of Nigeria (PPMC), said that the depot was set to be re-opened for business.

Mr Emmanuel Anam, PPMC Deputy Manager, South East, said the company had started test-running pipelines supplying products to the depot.

Anam, who was represented at the event by Mr Bola Odeniyi, noted that there was enough product to be supplied to the depot.

“Our concern now is how to safeguard the products when we send them to Osisioma.

“Government cannot import petroleum products for use and they will be wasted in the pipeline by vandals,” he said.

Anam said that what they needed was an assurance from stakeholders that the pipelines would be protected in order to deliver the products to consumers.

The Osisioma Depot Manager, who did not disclose his name, said that the depot was very vital to the existence of Port Harcourt Refinery as Abia had the largest outlets in the zone.

“Our pipelines network covers 5,000 kilometres and with 1,003 outlets in Abia, Osisioma Depot is the only one that can sustain the existence of the Port Harcourt Refinery,” he said.

Mr Gilbert Nwoke, Chairman of the Osisioma Branch of IPMAN, said that marketers had long pursued the re-opening of the depot.

Nwoke explained that the depot was shut, due to lack of security at pipeline points, adding : “if we provide the needed security now and they fail to reopen the depot the whole world will hear our voice “.

Mr Nkoro Akujobi, Abia State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, said the continued closure of the depot had made life miserable for the marketers in the state.

The commissioner said the state’s economy had not been better off, adding that the number of people whose life depended on the depot was enormous.