Compel Marketers, Retailers To Make Fuel Available At Approved Prices, PENGASSAN urges NMDPRA

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on the management of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ( NMDPRA) to compel all marketers and retailers to make petroleum products available at approved prices

The association said it has been following up with its members in NNPC Trading Limited who are responsible for assigning the products to marketers and its teaming members from NMDPRA in various depots and terminals across the country that are responsible for issuing cargo clearance, tracking compliance, route inspection, metering calibration/maintenance, accurate delivery to trucks, record keeping, and others on the need to carry out their functions expeditiously.

Festus Osifo, the National President of PENGASSAN who spoke to newsmen at the National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) of the association in Abuja urged NMDPRA to immediately mobilize all its staff in various locations across the country to track compliance, stating that anyone found wanting, should have his or her license immediately revoked.

The association president who said the oil workers will keep close tab on the issue, reinstated  the commitments of the association to continue its advocacy on the need to fix the Nation’s refineries.

According to him, with the inclusion of PENGASSAN in the Steering Committee as set up by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), it shall continue the agitation for the rehabilitation of the four Refineries through engagement with other relevant stakeholders.

He said functional local refineries will not only increase the nation’s revenue base, but will also provide more job opportunities for the youths as well as end the uncertainties in subsidy regimes and product importation.

While maintaining support for the full deregulation of the sector and acknowledging the significant milestones achieved in this regard, the association president counseled that efforts be made to increase the pace of the current refineries rehabilitation and get them back on stream in no time.

On Anti-Labour Management in Oil and Gas, Osifo said the association has observed with total dismay the blatant refusal of some capitalists in the sector to allow workers who have indicated interest to join the Association do so.

He said the association will intensify effort and use all the arsenal as it is within itsl right to ensure the companies involved do the right thing.

Speaking on the just concluded general election, the association president said INEC failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.

“A lot of irregularities and violence marked this exercise in different parts of the country.  This was ascertained by several credible and local observers. The major flaw was the use of BVAS in uploading results into IRev.

“Nigerians hailed the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as the game changer! Despite all the sacrifices made by ordinary Nigerians to go out and wait in long queues to obtain their PVCs, strenuously cast their votes and the billions of taxpayers’ money budgeted for the conduct of this  election, INEC failed in meeting the expectations of Nigerians.

 This failure on the part of INEC to upload results from polling units to IReV portal, climaxed an election that was challenged by late arrival of INEC personnel and materials in some areas, by pass of BVAS in some cases, suppression of results and outright  intimidation and coercion in many instances.

“Despite the outcome, we hereby appeal to all those aggrieved by result to seek redress at the court..

“The various tribunals must be charged to deliver justice to the satisfaction of all well the last hope of the teeming masses of the country”.

On the disobedience of Court Judgments, he said: “For any democracy to thrive, respect for the law and human rights, as well as adherence to institutions established to shape the country are key. Flagrant disregard for any of these often weakens democratic tenets.

“Surprisingly, it is same individuals who have sworn oath to discharge their duties to the best of their ability, but are now confidently disobeying the constitution, and disregarding the order of the courts thereby making a mockery of us all. Equally sad were cases of selective interpretation and implementation of Courts judgments which we also see as retrogressive and undemocratic.

“Consequently, as this administration prepares to wind-down, we advise that all judicial pronouncements and judgments should be addressed or cleared before the incoming regime resumes.

“We demand that the head of EFCC, IGP and the Attorney General of the Federation should obey the court’s pronouncements issued against them or be ready to be committed to the correctional center as no one individual or entity should be above the law”,.