Petroleum minister calls for more private sector participation in downstream

Posted by admin Latest Politics Friday, March 4th, 2011

The Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has called for greater indigenous private sector participation in the downstream activities of the oil and gas industry so as to accelerate the attainment of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s aspiration for the sector.

Speaking during a facility tour of some vital downstream sites in Lagos, Mrs. Madueke who also took time out to commission an ultra modern fuel dispensing truck at the Apapa depot of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, urged other players in the downstream to emulate the company in its quest to align with the President’s vision of ensuring comprehensive sanitization of the fuel supply and distribution mechanism across the country.

“The excellent facilities we have seen at Capital oil are very commendable and we would like other players to replicate this achievement. With the effort they have put in to achieve this standard, I do believe that that the effort that the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is making to reform the various sectors of our economy will indeed be realised over the next few years,’’ the Minister stated.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke also gave the company high marks for providing excellent boarding and recreational facilities for fuel tanker drivers and other service providers at its massive Truck Park along the Oshodi Apapa expressway with capacity for over 1,700 trucks operating under a 24 hour format.

“The standard they have put in place particularly at the truck park by providing the drivers and tanker handlers with model restaurant and also creating a conducive area for sleeping, is what we need to raise fundamental standards in this country across board,” Mrs. Alison- Madueke stated.

The Petroleum Minister later commissioned a loading bay at the Capital Oil depot alongside a fleet of ultra modern fuel dispensing tankers with capability to operate as a mobile filling station.

Chairman of Capital Oil, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubajj thanked the Minister for the work visit while pledging his commitment to help sustain the President’s zero tolerance policy for fuel scarcity across the nooks and crannies of the country.
Also indication emerged on Wednesday that the spirited efforts by the NNPC to curb the artificial gap in the supply of kerosene in some parts of the country have started yielding the desired effects.

While on a visit to the NNPC Mega station in Ikoyi, the Minister was thronged by a group of women/customers in the area who commended her effort at ensuring that the kerosene is made available at the appropriate price.

The NNPC had in the last two weeks injected extra volume of Kerosene into the system far above the national daily consumption figure of 10 million litres to ease off the artificially induced tightness in supply.

-Vanguardwp_posts