Published By Olukayode Idowu
Worried by the recent supply of adulterated petrol to the country, which has given motorists serious concerns in the last few days as a result of the unprecedented damage to vehicles, the Commandant General, NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has assured members of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) of the Corps renewed support and collaboration in nipping in the bud all forms of illegality in the oil distribution and supply chain.
He gave this assurance at the Corps National headquarters, Abuja, when the executive members of the association paid him a courtesy visit with a view to partnering with the Corps in salvaging the nation’s economy from the hands of economic saboteurs engaging in illegal dealings in Petroleum products.
The Corps helmsman averred that as long as oil is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy, there is need for total overhauling and sanitization of the oil sector and this requires collective transparent effort by all stakeholders in fighting all nefarious individuals engaging in various activities leading to sabotage and destruction of the economy at both National and grass root level.
Audi reiterated the Corps’ commitment to safeguarding all Critical National Assets and Infrastructure but called on all respective stakeholders for collective engagement and synergy as he stressed that no organization has a monopoly of knowledge or ideas.
According to the president of the association, PETROAN is currently working with the Nigeria mainstream and downstream petroleum regulatory authority to set up a quantity assurance and quality control (QAQC) Petroleum products passport (3P) compliance and monitoring team to ensure quality certification and accurate Petroleum products quantity is dispensed from all sources including sea, depots, retail outlets, fuel storage dumps and actual product dispense through the federation.
While appreciating the pragmatic efforts of the NSCDC in its Antivandal drive, the National President of PETROAN, Prince (Dr.) Billy Gills-Harry lauded the NSCDC for standing tall in combating oil theft, stressing that the effort of the Corps would be improved upon with the introduction of the 3P and adequate logistics support through provision of operational vehicles as her personnel keep waging war against smuggling and diversion of petroleum products in and out of Nigeria.
He posited that continuous patrol of NSCDC team is required across the length and breadth of Nigeria to scrutinize and enhance the swift passage of legitimate petroleum products suppliers and users who operate within the ambit of the law. In his final remarks, the CG promised to critically examine the introduction of the 3P as introduced by PETROAN and as such taking cognizance of its positive impact on crime prevention while safeguarding the critical national assets and infrastructure of the nation.
