The impact of toxic fuel reportedly imported into the country has begun to hit car owners.
The Nation investigation showed that sale of the dirty fuel cuts across major and independent marketers. A victim, Mrs. Veronica Demola, said she bought petrol from an independent marketer at Magboro on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
She said afterwards her vehicle refused to start. On examination, it was discovered the fuel may have been mixed with water.
Other victims, unable to pinpoint the filling stations where they bought fuel, said their vehicles suddenly broke down.
But the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, who also was a victim, said he suspected the adulteration occur between depots and retail outlets or at retail outlets.
According to him, his Sport Utility Vehicle broke down in Osun State shortly after buying fuel in Ibadan. On examination, it was discovered the fuel contained water.
He reported to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which The agency assured him it would contact its Ibadan office to fish out such filling stations.
Olawore advised marketers not to adulterate or adjust pumps to sell below the right price. It is important to sell good quality and quantity, adding that DPR must ensure that right quality and quantity are applied to give customers value for their money.
Olawore said: “Reduction in price is welcome but people shouldn’t undersell or adulterate. My suspicion is the problem is not from the shipping. The product comes in as good product. The adulteration, I think, happens at the point of loading at the depot and discharge at the retail outlet. Two things DPR should achieve and ensure filling stations do are: the fuel should be of good quality and good quantity.”
The DPR, in a statement, noted that its attention has been drawn to an online publication quoting a report by the Swiss watchdog group, ‘Public Eye’ accusing Swiss trading companies of importing “dirty diesel” with more than 100 per cent sulphur content into Nigeria and some other African countries.
The DPR said the report was erroneous and misleading, saying: There is an established petroleum products traceability protocol for receipt of imported petroleum products cargoes that ensures all products can be traced to a refinery of origin, thereby eliminating products from unknown sources.
‘’Nigeria’s product specifications are of international standards and sometimes exceed some of these standards. All petroleum products (Automotive Gas Oil inclusive) are properly analsed at registered third party laboratories to ensure accurate and unbiased results before any vessel is cleared to discharge at our depots.
“All products receiving depots are statutorily required to have in-house laboratory for conducting tests of key product quality parameters, such as flash point, Density, Octane rating, Sulphur content, water content, etc. Also products samples are taken daily from active tanks and analysed to make sure they meet specification before truck out is allowed.
“Samples are also taken and analyzed from trucks conveying products from coastal depots to inland depots to ensure that product quality is not compromised during transit before trucks are dispatched to retail outlets.
“All the above tests at various stages of petroleum products distribution and supply chain are witnessed by assigned DPR staff as part of our regulatory oversight function.
“We hereby state that the contents of the report should be disregarded by all stakeholders and the public as there is no off-specification petroleum products in Nigeria.”