Business

Why We Shut Down PHRC, PPMC

Published

5 years ago

August 28, 2019

Operations of the Petroleum Downstream Sector in Rivers State got ruffled last week, following a face-off between the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), the management of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
Problem started when the leadership of IPMAN mobilised its members last Wednesday to stage a peaceful protest at the premises of the PHRC and PPMC in Port Harcourt to register their discontent over perceived institutional breaches and inefficiencies on the part of the companies to discharge their statutory functions.
The protest which commenced in the early hours of Wednesday, last week, shut down the operations of the two federal agencies, as the aggrieved IPMAN members barricaded the entrances to the two companies with placards of varying inscriptions to press home their demands. Some of the placards read thus: “Diversion of our products is a crime,” “Private depots owners steal “PPMC products with the backing of NNPC staff,” “We want products not excuses, “ PHRC, PPMC encouraging illegal bunkering.”
Since then Motorists and other users of petroleum products have been thrown into a state of apprehension and panic over a looming fuel scarcity following the shutdown and the threat of IPMAN and other related organisations to down tool if the PHRC and PPMC failed to heed their demands.
But IPMAN has insisted that its actions as a body was justifiable as it was billed to expose the sharp practices in the sector which have undermined their business concerns and service delivery to the public.
The major bone of contention, according to the IPMAN leadership, is that for over two years now, the PHRC and PPMC have failed to produce AGO(diesel)or DPR(kerosine) thereby making the independent marketers to depend on adulterated diesel (kpoofire) to fuel their haulage trucks before they could load the “imported PMS((Petrol) made available at the deport.”
This tendency, according to the IPMAN leadership, was an indication that PHRC and PPMC were encouraging illegal bunkering.
Rivers State Chairman of lPMAN, Comrade Emmanuel Inimgba, who spoke with The Tide in an exclusive interview prior to the protest, disclosed that the dependence of the independent marketers on adulterated diesel to fuel their trucks in the loading of products was destructive on the engines and also exposed them to health dangers and other associated hazards.
The Rivers IPMAN said petroleum products sent from Lagos and Warri to Port Harcourt were diverted to private depots in Port Harcourt which are mostly owned by PPMC and NNPC management, and thus deny the independent marketers acces to the products at PPMC depot in Port Harcourt.
He said; “For more than two years now we haven’t been loading any products apart from imported PMS, we don’t have access to diesel and kerosene and we are constraint to depend on illegally refined products to power our loading trucks. This has resulted in very high cost of operation on our part and affected the delivery of our services to the public, we are not going to load from those private depots where our products are diverted to until the products are supplied to the right depot.”
Comrade lnimgba who described the operations and services of IPMAN as capital intensive, said most of the independent marketers obtained loan facilities from banks to run their businesses and as such were under tight obligation to pay back the funds.
He regretted the perceived “indifference” of the regulatory agency in the Petroleum industry, i.e the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) which according to him seem to gloss over the anomalies in the activities of the downstream sector in Rivers State despite several overtures made by IPMAN and other affected stakeholders to address the rising challenges.
He pointed out that the protest was to expose the; “shoddy deals going on in the down stream sector and to bring to the fore the sad experiences of the independent marketers.”
He called on the DPR to live up to its statutory responsibilities by creating the enabling environment and ensuring transparency in the process, especially in products availability, arbitrary increase in prices of products and renewal operational licenses.
Comrade lnimgba also raised concern over the growing spate of insecurity against the investment of the independent marketers, noting that filling stations have become targets of incessant robbery, especially in the night.
While applauding the Rivers State Governor for his efforts in promoting the security of lives and properties in the state, he appealed to the government to create a special police division to protect the investments of the independent marketers to enable them render services to the public with relative ease.
“ Filling station owners have become endangered species, we can’t sell at night without threats of robbery attack.
The use of POS has helped to an extent but we want the government to come to our aid by creating a special police division to protect our operations. This will go a long way to address the challenges of insecurity we are experiencing,” he stated.
The IPMAN chairman also commented on the state of refineries in the country, particularly the Port Harcourt Refinery which he said was completely dysfunctional. He called on the Federal Government to fix the ailing refineries and make them effective in product delivery.
Apart from revamping the existing refineries, he said the Federal Government should also make real its promise of building modular refineries in the Niger Delta Region so as to give the people of the oil rich region a sense of active participation in the oil and gas industry as well as enhance massive economic growth and expansion in the industry.
He contended that the building of modular refineries in the Niger Delta would address the issues of unemployment and other social vices among the youth.
He said; “when modular refineries are created in the Niger Delta, most youths who engage in illegal bunkering will channel their talents and energies in a more positive way as their technological capacities will be fully developed.”
Comrade Inimgba said that existing policies in the Nigeria oil and gas sector were tailored to the disadvantage of the Niger Delta people. He regretted that despite the enormous contributions of the region to the development of national economy the region still suffered huge development neglects.
He, therefore, called for a review of Nigerias’ petroleum laws to reflect the imperatives of justice by giving the people of the Niger Delta assess to their natural resources for the development of the region.
“I want to correct the erroneous impression that the people of the Niger Delta are not fit to play roles in the oil and gas industry, we have qualified technologists and technocrats in the Niger Delta. We want the Federal Government to allocate oil blocks to indigenes of the Niger Delta, this will give the people a sense of belonging, create direct development impact in the region and correct the imbalances in the oil and gas sector. “
The lPMAN chairman was also irked over the issue of pipeline vandalisation and explosions which had become a recurrent event in the Niger Delta region, resulting in wastages of lives and revenue.
He said IPMAN as a body was totally against pipeline vandalisation which is considered as sabotage, adding that the association has contributed its quota towards addressing the menace, such as constitution of special anti-pipeline vandalisation committee with the mandate to work with relevant stakeholders to address the endemic vice.
He pointed out that the issue of pipeline vandalisation can not be tackled on a shallow bases except the root cause is addressed.
“IPMAN as a body condemns pipeline vandalisation in its entirety, it’s a menace that have brought incalculable losses as people are killed in the process while revenue is lost.These pipelines pass through communities, the government should liase with communities on the surveillance and security of the pipelines. Also, obsolete oil pipelines in the Niger Delta should be replaced to avoid leakages and possible explosion,” he said.
Speaking on the activities of multinationals corporations and International Oil and Gas Companies (IOCS) in the Niger Delta, the oil and gas expert described the modus operandi of most of the companies as “defective and bereft of international best Practices.”
He expressed disappointment over the fact that “ most of the companies operating in the Niger Delta deny the people employment quotas or simply engage them without stipulated employment policies or condition of service and subject them to slave labour and caualisation.”
He also kicked against the relocation of the corporate headquarters of the multinationals from the Niger Delta to Lagos on the excuse of insecurity, saying that such excuses were calculated ploys to slight the region economically.

Taneh Beemene

Business

Fuel Scarcity: IPMAN threatens shutdown over bridging claims

Published

9 hours ago

May 3, 2024

The Tide

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum, has exonerated its members from the current fuel scarcity in the country.

According to IPMAN, this is caused by its inability to source petroleum products.

The IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum also threatened to withdraw its services over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to its members, since 2022.

Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, the Chairman, of the Forum said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

Alhassan said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) was the sole importer of the product, but the marketers could not source products from NNPC Ltd. deport, rather from the private depots at high rate.

“We cannot buy fuel from the private depots at N950 and transport the product from Lagos to the North and other parts of the country with N2 million and still sell it at N900 or N1, 000.

“It is expedient for us to state that we are more pained by the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which has given rise to another round of untold hardship for Nigerians.

“Contrary to claims that IPMAN members are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel, we would like to categorically state that PMS scarcity is wholly triggered by inability to get fuel from NNPC and not IPMAN,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd. Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said the disruption was due to logistical issues which had since been resolved.

“We currently have an availability of products exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days. Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved.

“However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations.

“Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximise profits. Thankfully, product scarcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain,’’ Soneye said.

He however, said the lines would clear out soon.

On the non-payment of bridging claims, the IPMAN forum said it was distressed and depressed by the laidback attitude of the NMDPRA towards the survival its member’s businesses, arising from its refusal in paying the claims.

“It is with deep frustration that we have assembled here today as the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum. It is also disheartening to note that some of our members have completely shut down businesses and retrenched employees.

“As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians,’’ Alhassan said.

He recalled that Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), at a stakeholders meeting in February mandated the NMDPRA management to clear the entire debt in 40 days.

“However, today, we have crossed the 40 days’ time lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13 billion has been paid, ignoring minister’s directive.

“We are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members are recently subjected to.

“We are also calling on President Bola Tinubu to look into this unwholesome figure which is highly detrimental to our business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses.

“We are poised to take far reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time.

“We are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, shut down every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till our demands are fully met, and the consequences will be terrible.

“We call on our members to however remain resolute and law abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met by the NMDPRA,’’ the chairman said.

Reacting to the IPMAN’s claims, the Acting Head, Corporate Communications, NMDPRA, Seiyefa Osanebi said the bridging claims payment was ongoing.

“The bridging claims payment is always an ongoing process,” she said.

Maritime

Shippers’ Council Registers 160 Port Operators

Published

4 days ago

April 29, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.

Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.

By: Chinedu Wosu