Tank Farm Owners to Supply 40 Petrol Trucks to Abuja Daily, Begin 24-hour Service

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Oil industry stakeholders under the Ijegun-Egba Tankfarm Owners and Operators Association (ITOOA) yesterday said their members had resolved to begin the supply of 40 trucks of petrol to Abuja per day to compliment the current government efforts.

In a communiqué jointly signed by the Chairman of the group, Mr  Adebowale Olujimi and the Secretary, Eshiet Eshiet, a lawyer, after a meeting of the group, the tank farm owners disclosed that they currently have over 106 million litres of the product in stock.

Having considered the energy situation in the country, the association said that its members were working with other stakeholders to ensure the effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products in the nation.
While acknowledging the efforts of the government to ameliorate the situation and in full compliance with government regulated and stipulated price of the product, the group warned that no member  is permitted to sell above the government regulated price.

It noted that any tank farm within its area of coverage  that defaults, fails or neglects to operate in full compliance with the regulated price will be sanctioned accordingly.

“To underscore transparency and our good faith in ensuring effective product distribution across the nation, we are committed to work with and cooperate with all government agencies and security agencies regarding our members’ operational plans, loading plans and pricing. We shall avail the regulatory agencies our books for scrutiny whenever same is required.

“In line with our transparent posture, we wish to put it on record that we collectively have approximately 106 million litres in stock and will load and truck same accordingly.

“We also state that we are collectively expecting consignments in the next few days, and will load and truck to ensure energy stability and security,” the group said.

It explained that to further compliment government’s efforts, plans and policies , it was committing to work 24 hours to ensure seamless loading, trucking and distribution of petroleum products, especially petrol from the Ijegun-Egba axis.

All tank farms within the Ijegun-Egba axis, Olujimi said,   will continue to run their operations transparently, openly and will account for their operational plans, loading and pricing to the government at all times.

“The meeting took note of government’s effort to address the volatility in product distribution and agreed that any tank farm that sabotages the government’s plans, efforts or policies by pricing above the government regulated price should be held responsible, accountable and sanctioned accordingly.

“To ensure and guarantee effective implementation of the agreed resolutions, the meeting mandated the chairman, either on his own or through officers of the association or agents to monitor the operational activities, loading and pricing by the tank farms.
“The chairman was further mandated to exercise this oversight function in conjunction with the regulatory or security agencies,” the communiqué noted.

Furthermore, it noted that members restated their strong support to every government’s policy in making petrol and other petroleum products available to Nigerians.
Aside Olujimi and Eshiet, other chief executives who attended the meeting included:  Alhaji Auwalu Rano – GMD, A.A.Rano Ltd, Johnson Oboh Peters – GMD, Menj Oil Ltd, Chief Peter Chinedu – GMD, Chipet Oil Ltd and Dr Gabriel Ogbechie –  GMD, Rainoil Ltd.

Others were: Mrs Judith Ogbara –  CEO, Stallionaire Ltd, Mr Olutayo Awogboro – MD, Aipec Oil Ltd and Princess Adedoyin – MD, First Royal Oil Ltd.