“…Dissatisfied consumers were entitled to proper redress of their complaints”
By YANGE IKYAA
A presidential directive has been given that justice be served to those who imported contaminated petrol into Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered that suppliers of the petrol, which was blended with quantities of methanol far above standard specifications were liable for the bad fuel and should be held accountable for the commercial breach. He also told relevant government agencies to take every lawful step to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuse and social injustice.
The adulterated petrol in question is said to have damaged some vehicles, even as allegations claim that the withdrawal of the bad fuel from circulation is responsible for the recent fuel queues across the country, with consumers fearing that product scarcity could kick in.
Speaking through Garba Shehu, his media aide, President Buhari said the protection of consumer interests was the priority of his administration, and that “his government was ready to take necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods.”
He also directed that in line with the law, service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information with respect to the consumption of their products, stating further that “dissatisfied consumers were entitled to proper redress of their complaints.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) said that its investigation unraveled the presence of methanol in four petrol cargoes imported into the country by MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando and Duke Oil.
At the National Assembly, the House of Representatives on Thursday directed NNPC to suspend all companies that are found culpable.
The situation is fast degenerating into a blame game among the different parties involved in the petroleum energy trade in the country.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said that NNPC, as the sole importer of fuel in the country, should be held responsible for payment of damages to affected Nigerians.
Emadeb-Consortium yesterday distanced itself from the importation of contaminated fuel, insisting that listing it among those partly responsible for the importation of the off-specification petrol by the NNPC is misleading.
The House of Representatives also mandated its committee on petroleum downstream to investigate the release of adulterated petroleum into the Nigerian market, while ensuring that the culprits were brought to book and with recommendations to avoid future reoccurrence.
The committee was further mandated ascertain “the roles played, if any, by NNPC, the Standards Organization of Nigeria, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Nigerian Navy, Customs, limited liability companies, and, perhaps, individuals in respect of the incident and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.”
