Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday, mandated its committee on Petroleum Resources(Downstream) to investigate the release of adulterated premium motor spirit (petrol) across the country with a view to ensuring that culprits are brought to book as well as make recommendations towards curbing  reoccurrence of such incident.

This is coming as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) names four companies as culprits in the importation of the bad fuel.

The House will also investigate the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Customs Service and other regulatory agencies over their roles in the importation of adulterated fuel into the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the need to investigate the release and sale of adulterated premium motors spirit (PMS) in petrol stations across Nigeria moved by Hon Mohammed Tahir Monguno at plenary.

Monguno recalled that the country witnessed a sudden scarcity of petrol with the attendant long queues at fuel stations, especially in the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State which was blamed on discovery of adulterated fuel in circulation.

He said poor quality product was noticed about a week ago when many car engines of motorists were reportedly damaged and consumers allegedly started arresting and suing retail outlet owners for selling them products which damaged their vehicles.

He expressed concerns that adulteration of liquid petroleum products is an “illegal and clandestine practice which poses severe risk to public health and automobile engine quality among others.”

Monguno said the seeming lack of a credible monitoring and surveillance system to ensure adequate fuel quality at the consumer end and prevent undue stress to the citizenry and the country as a whole was worrisome.

Adopting the motion for investigation, the lawmakers unanimously insisted that the act of importing adulterated fuel was deliberate and that those culpable must be must be held accountable.

Hon Onofiok Luke while contributing to the motion, said the incident has brought additional hardship and pains on Nigerians, adding that many people have been calling him to complain of their vehicles’ engines parking up and malfunctioning fuel pumps.

He said besides holding all the culprits to account, there was the need to pay compensations to those whose vehicles have been affected by the adulterated fuel.

Abubakar Fulata in his contribution said the importation of adulterated was not an accident but a deliberate act that must not be handled lightly.

Hon Toby Okechukwu on his part said the regulatory agencies have failed woefully in their duties, adding that there must be restitution and compensation for victims of the adulterated fuel importation.

Taiwo Oluga in her contribution said the CEO of NNPC Ltd should be summoned to the House to explain to Nigerians what happened, adding that the NNPC was putting lives of Nigerians in danger.

Hon Tajudeen Yusuf in his contribution blamed the development on regulatory agencies for failing to do their jobs.

He added that those who purchased the adulterated fuel and with attendant effects on their vehicles for no fault of theirs should be considered and compensated.

The House directed the NNPC to immediately suspend the four companies said to be involved in the purchasing and supplying of the bad fuel.

The companies, the importing vessels and the product origin as listed by the NNPC include: MRS (MT Bow Pioneer LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium); Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium (MT Tom Hilde – LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium); Oando (MT Elka Apollon -LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium); and Duke Oil (MT Nord Gainer-LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium).Duke Oil is a subsidiary of the NNPC Limited.

It also asked NNPC to submit the deeds of purchase to the parliament for scrutiny.

The House also mandated its Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) to ascertain the details of purchases of petroleum products made from January till date to ascertain whether they met with the international standards.

A statement by the NNPC on Thursday morning, however, reassured Nigerians of its capacity to restore sanity in the supply and distribution of quality petrol also across the country within a short period.

The company said its Chief Executive Officer/Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari made the pledge at the end of a meeting with some oil marketers to resolve the issues generated by the recent supply and discharge of methanol blended petrol in some Nigerian depots.

Kyari emphasized that defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and that NNPC was working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) to take necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations.

Kyari who provided a graphic picture of the unfortunate incident, said that on January 20, 2022,the company received a report from its quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.

He explained that NNPC’s investigation revealed the presence of methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by the following Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase (DSDP) suppliers

He noted that cargoes quality certificates issued at load port (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium indicated that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification.

Accordingly to him, “NNPC quality inspectors including GMO, SGS, GeoChem and G&G conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification”.

Kyari noted that as a standard practice for all PMS imported into the country, the said cargoes were equally certified by inspection agent appointed by the NMDRA.

“It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for per cent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors,’’ he stated.

However, in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the NNPC CEO said the company promptly ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck & marine).