Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate allegations regarding the importation of adulterated petrol into Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that recently, there have been claims from various sources that certain petrol marketers are engaging in the practice of importing substandard fuel.
On November 3, Dangote Petroleum Refinery expressed concerns, stating that any oil marketer selling petrol at a price lower than that of the refinery is likely dealing in inferior products. This statement followed comments from some oil marketers who argued that Dangote’s prices were higher than those of imported petrol.
Also, on November 7, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited refuted claims that adulterated petrol had been sold to a customer at one of its retail outlets in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
In light of these developments, Solomon Ola, the President of ANPE, emphasized the urgency of investigating these claims, highlighting that the importation of adulterated petrol could pose a significant threat to Nigeria’s economy.
“Importation of the sanctioned-tainted petrol into Nigeria would no doubt have diplomatic consequences, bearing in mind the sanctions that the price cap coalition, comprising the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia, imposed on Russian-sourced crude and petroleum products,” the statement reads.
“The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has followed developments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry with concern, given the absurd positions being canvassed by some stakeholders regarding the safety of the country and citizens regarding the quality of products being retailed.
“ANPE has consequently decided to urge President Bola Tinubu, as a matter of national interest, to use his mandate as the country’s chief executive to halt the designation of Nigeria as a dumping ground for foreign-sourced tainted, adulterated, and questionable petroleum products.
“We are sad and alarmed by recent developments in Europe; from Russia to Malta and every part of Europe, our home country has become a lucrative destination for the dumping of adulterated petroleum products such as PMS, popularly known as petrol, which industry experts have tagged as fake fuel.
“Our association is concerned that the petroleum products in question are still being dumped in Nigeria even after industry experts have warned about their substandard nature, which poses material and economic risks to Nigerians whose vehicles and equipment could be damaged by dirty fuel.
“Fake fuel also has negative implications for the environment in addition to the associated dangers that the fumes from these products pose to public health, a situation that the Nigerian government would find exceptionally challenging since such a health burden would further stretch already lean public finances.
“In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Price Cap Coalition forbids transactions on crude oil and petroleum products of Russian Federation origin unless they are transacted at or below $60, a price band that the products imported into Nigeria routinely violate even when the products are of Russian origin.
“A third concern for our association is the absurdity of importing relatively pricier petrol into Nigeria when more affordable and quality options are available from local refineries.
“This insistence on flooding Nigeria with bad petrol is equally bad for the economy. It is actively sabotaging President Tinubu’s economic policy.”
The ANPE president said substandard petroleum products cannot be sold in other African countries and, as such, should not be imported into Nigeria.
“The collaborators of these European firms back in Nigeria collude to force these products on citizens of our dear nation for the sole purpose of profit-making,” he said.
