Buhari vows to punish importers of adulterated petrol as Union seeks damages from NNPC

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that producers and providers of consumable products be held accountable for their actions, TopNaija reports.

This followed the report of the infiltration of adulterated fuel into Nigeria, which has led to the return of fuel station queues across the country.

Buhari, through his media aide, Garba Shehu, said directives have been issued to the relevant government agencies to take every step in line with the laws of the country to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuses and social injustices.

The directive is in reaction to the issue of petroleum product shortages linked to the inadvertent supply of products of foreign origin into the Nigerian market.

According to the presidency, the protection of consumer interests is of top priority to the present administration and is ready to take all necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods.

Buhari also directed in the statement on Thursday, that in line with the law, service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information with respect to the consumption of their products and that dissatisfied consumers are entitled to a proper redress of their complaints.

Recall that through importation of fuel for local consumption, over 100milion litres of adulterated fuel had found its way into the Nigerian market, prompting scarcity of the product as government regulatory agencies tried to mop up the poor product from the system.

Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is in the position to pay damages to affected Nigerians.

The Secretary of IPMAN, Mr. Ismail Osatuyi, stated this Thursday, when he appeared on ARISE TV.

He said Nigerians affected by the adulterated fuel have the right to sue NNPC being the sole importer of fuel in the country and should be responsible for the payment of damages.

TopNaija recalls that the presence of methanol in four petrol cargoes imported into the country from Antwerp in Belgium has not only disrupted the country’s fuel supply chain, the product has also led to the damage of several cars.

Osatuyi said: “The buyers – Nigerians that had their vehicles spoiled have the right to take legal action. And we have told our members that we have to know who were affected, which stations, which companies. So that we can also pass the information to the government, because since we are not responsible for the importation, then, there must be restitution and that is the fact. And the government has to come in this time around for them to mitigate whatever damage they have done to Nigerians’ vehicles and individuals.”

Osatuyi was of the opinion that if the country’s four refineries were working, such a problem wouldn’t have occured in the first place.

When asked if he was confident that NNPC would reimburse IPMAN members in any way or bear the cost, Osatuyi said the government agency has no choice but to compensate them, else, the association would take legal action.

According to him, “They have no choice this time around. These are facts and figures. It is only when we engage them in discussion and say these are the figures, these are the facts, and they are trying to be funny, then we can now look at what we can do within the ambit of the law.”