The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to allow oil marketers to buy premium motor spirit, also known as petrol, directly from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The resolution was passed during a plenary session on Thursday sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Oboku Oforji, a lawmaker from Bayelsa state.
On September 14, the federal government said the Dangote refinery would sell petrol to only the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, adding that interested marketers would have to buy the product from the national oil firm.
Three days later, Adedapo Segun, executive vice-president, downstream at NNPC, said oil marketers cannot purchase petrol directly from the refinery because the product is still sold at a subsidised rate.
While moving the motion, Oforji said if oil marketers are allowed to lift petrol from the refinery, it will address the scarcity of the product across the country.
“In view of the high demand by millions of Nigerians for premium motor spirit (PMS), and the ordeal they go through to get it, NNPCL should allow independent marketers to lift the product from the Dangote refinery,” the lawmaker said.
“Allowing independent marketers, major marketers, along with NNPCL to lift from the Dangote refinery will lead to competition, availability of the product, hence reduction in the price of PMS.”
The legislator said authorising only NNPC and major marketers off-takers to lift petrol from the refinery is “tantamount to greed,” adding that the national oil firm “has failed to manage our crude and refineries for decades”.
“Allowing the NNPCL and major marketers to lift PMS from the refinery to the exclusion of independent marketers is not good enough. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria’s (IPMAN) representatives have expressed fears that it may be forced to resort to fuel imports to sustain their businesses,” the lawmaker said.
“If this monopoly is not nipped in the bud, the suffering of Nigerians occasioned by the scarcity of PMS will continue and we all know the implication on the economy.”
The motion was referred to the joint ad hoc committee of the senate and house of representatives for further legislative action.
