Oando Plc and Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, which were mentioned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) among the companies that allegedly imported contaminated fuel have denied involvement in the importation of such fuel.
They said their companies had no hand in importing “off-spec’’ product.
Oando in a statement signed by the Company’s Secretary, Ayotola Jagun, said the energy company never imported contaminated petrol into Nigeria as alleged and was never involved in such.
It said: “Following media reports listing Oando as one of four importers that supplied methanol-blended Premium Motor Spirits (PMS) into the country, we hereby state that Oando did not import and supply PMS that was adulterated or substandard.
“The PMS supplied by Oando met Nigeria’s import specification.
“We are committed to working assiduously with the NNPC and industry to identify the root cause(s) of the subsequent contamination of the PMS supplied.
“We want to assure the public that Oando as a responsible corporate citizen would not partake in the importation, distribution, or marketing of substandard petroleum products,” the statement said.
Brittania-U Nigeria Limited also disowned importation of the contaminated fuel in announcement it made in Abuja on Friday. The public notice was entitled: “Refutal that Brittania-U was among oil and gas companies that brought off-spec Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) currently in circulation”.
Brittania-U said: “The consortium product that arrived and discharged during Jan. 4 to Jan. 19, 2022 through five daughter vessels were duly certified as meeting NNPC product specifications.”
It said further that all PMS from its mother vessel named MT Torm Hilde were discharged with relevant certificates of quality after laboratory analysis.
The company’s management noted that the product it imported was adjudged lead-free, ethanol-free, water-free and suspended matter-free.
It stated further that the product also had sulphur content of 0.0174 as against 0.05, which is within the acceptable content allowable by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
“Brittania-U is concerned that while its consortium products have been discharged and dispensed at retail outlets in January, it is unwittingly now being linked with an issue of off-spec fuel induced scarcity that began around Monday, Feb. 7, 2022.
“In order to clear our company’s name, we have made all the documents available, which clearly exonerated our company from the negative publications making the rounds, all aimed at trying to tarnish our image.
“Brittania-U management is aware of the publication by Emadeb/Hyde/Aymaikifi Consortium partners and while we do not want to join issues with these companies, we want to affirm that what they stated does not relate to the issues at hand.
“Suffice it to state that Brittania-U’s record in the oil and gas industry, which covers the entire spectrum of upstream, midstream and downstream is impeccable.
According to Brittania-U, it should be noted that our company was among the first 24 indigenous oil and gas companies that started the petroleum importation business under the Petroleum Support Fund in 2008.
“This saw Brittania-U importing products for international oil companies such as Total Nigeria Plc, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, some independents and the defunct PPPRA.’’
Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi consortium had earlier absolved itself of involvement in the importation of the bad fuel.
On February 10, NNPC Limited disclosed that defaulting suppliers and importers of the methanol blended PMS would face the consequences.
According to NNPC, investigation has revealed the presence of methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by some Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase supplier companies, naming them as MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando and Duke Oil.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday over the matter, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, alleged that Oando, MRS, Duke Oil and Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium were behind the problem.
Kyari emphasized that defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and NNPC was working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) to take necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations.
President Muhammadu Buhari had announced that people found culpable in the importation of the bad fuel would be punished as motorists in Lagos, Abuja and adjoining states have been going through hardship to access non off-spec fuel. Long queues are seen at every retail outlet that sells fuel while other filling stations closed shop waiting for the withdrawal of the contaminated fuel by the NNPC.
The imported adulterated premium motor spirit (PMS) had damaged pumps of filling stations and vehicles of consumers that bought such fuel.
, better known as petrol, into the country.
