By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, has been commended by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and the Petroleum Tankers Drivers branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), for ensuring seamless supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country.
Speaking during a visit to the GMD by the associations, NARTO President, Mr Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya, and Chairman of PTD, Mr Otumba Oladiti, were unanimous in their views that fuel supply and distribution matrix had improved under Mr Baru’s watch.
According to Mr Bataiya, never in the history of the NNPC did the country record such an achievement which has brought about uninterrupted supply of petroleum products nationwide due to the various strategic measures undertaken by the GMD
“Petroleum products scarcity has now disappeared from our filling stations. In fact, the retail price of the product has also come down from N145 per litre to N143 per litre.
“You have also extended considerable assistance to transporters by allocating Automotive Gas Oil, (AGO), at subsidized prices to enable them keep their trucks on the road,” he said.
The NARTO President also thank Mr Baru for the settlement of their freight bills of about N80 billion owed by the Petroleum Equalization Fund, PEF, Management Board.
PTD Chairman, Mr Otumba Oladiti, while re-echoing the zero fuel queue strides of the GMD, noted that the sanity brought to bear on the fuel supply and distribution by Mr Baru should be extended to the refineries said to be scheduled for rehabilitation.
While urging the GMD and the NNPC Management to remain focused on their mandate to the country, Mr Oladiti assured the NNPC boss of the tanker drivers’ due support.
Responding, Mr Baru thanked the members and leadership of the associations for their kind words, noting that his team would do all it could to remain focus.
Adedapo Adesanya