The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) has assured members of the public that the fire incident at OVH Energy Depot in Ijora, Lagos would not affect petroleum products supply.
Mr Clement Isong, Executive Secretary, MOMAN gave the assurance in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
The fire which started at the petroleum depot at 12.15p.m. on Thursday was put out by 7.55a.m. on Saturday by a combined team of firefighters.
Isong said : “MOMAN, in collaboration with Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), has taken steps to ensure continuous supply of product to Lagos, its environs and across the country.
“We wish to assure members of the public that there shall be no product supply disruptions because of this event”.
He said that OVH Energy was a member of MOMAN.
The association, he said, would work with the company’s safety teams and the authorities to carry out detailed investigation to identify the immediate and remote causes of the fire.
According to him, the lessons learnt will be shared with all stakeholders.
“One of the major reasons MOMAN advocates for the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector is to ensure adequate margins to finance depot safety upgrades.
“Nonetheless, MOMAN as an association insists on internationally accepted safety standards and shared best practices in their self-regulation drive and cross-inspect members’ facilities and installations to meet these standards.
“MOMAN members have, therefore, continued to invest in and upgrade safe practices, firefighting and other equipment to meet the country and the jointly set standards, ” Isong said.
He said that MOMAN would continue to collectively self-regulate within its membership with a view to ensuring continuous upgrade and update of safety equipment, practices and standards.
The executive secretary said that the association remained committed to the sustainability and institutionalisation of a viable downstream petroleum industry for the social and economic growth of Nigeria.
