Posted on: 09:19 Tue, 26 May 2015



Petroleum products marketers and the Federal Government on Monday reached an agreement over the lingering fuel crisis in the country.

Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, agreed to call off their strike action over unpaid subsidy claims and commence lifting of petroleum products nationwide in the next six hours.

The agreement was reached after a meeting with the Chairman, Senate committee on petroleum resources, Magnus Abe, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, MD of NNPC Joseph Dawha and other stakeholders in the oil and gas sector in Abuja.

At the public hearing organised by the Joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), stakeholders in the petroleum sector resolved to mobilise their members for the immediate distribution of fuel across the country.

Abe, who read a communique duly signed by the stakeholders after the session, explained that all parties unanimously agreed to the peace deal, in the interest of the nation.

He said, “We have agreed on the following: first is that the Minister of Finance will give an undertaking to the Major Marketers and Depot Managers that the work of the committee being headed by CBN and PPPR, on the outstanding claims, would be concluded and be reflected in the hand over notes to the incoming administration.”

He said the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria had agreed to begin lifting of Petroleum products nationwide within the next six hours and to also pay the National Association of Road Transport Owners, the transport cost that will be determined by them.

He also explained that following the intervention of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the strike embarked upon by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Energy Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, had been called off.

At the meeting, the oil marketers agreed that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) should immediately revoke the license of any oil marketer that refuses to lift petroleum products across Nigeria.

Members of PENGASSAN, NUPENG, MOMAN, IPMAN and all other officials also addressed the press where they affirmed the resolutions and agreement and called off their strike action as well.

Capital Oil and Gas Ltd had on Sunday commenced the loading of 13 million litres of petrol from its depot in Apapa for distribution to the various states to reduce the current scarcity.

The Chairman of the company, Ifeayin Ubah, told journalists in Lagos that more than 2,000 trucks would be loaded before May 29 to boost the country’s economic activities.

He said the company’s facilities had the capacity to load 13 million litres of the product within the period.

“This comes to approximately 500 trucks of petroleum products on daily basis. With this, it is our belief that once again our citizens will begin to smile and return to normal family and work life.