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Edo rallies stakeholders to check adulteration, diversion of petroleum products

Edo rallies stakeholders to check adulteration, diversion of petroleum products

Edo State commissioner for minerals, oil and gas, Joseph Ikpea, has reiterated the state government’s commitment to check adulteration and diversion of petroleum products in the state.

Ikpea said this when he led other members of the ministry on an unscheduled visit to Benin Depot of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited (NPSC) in Benin City, Edo State.

He commended the Depot management on the availability of petroleum products in the state, noting, “The Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration will not tolerate adulteration and diversion of petroleum products.

“Whosoever engages in such acts, if caught, will be made to face the law. This government is people-oriented and will not allow the citizenry to suffer.

“We will clamp down on illegal refineries in the state and ensure that petroleum products available to residents are of top quality. As a government, our focus is to ensure that Edo people enjoy the dividends of democracy which includes the availability of petroleum products across the state.”

He said his team was at the depot for an on-the-spot assessment of its operations, noting, “We have heard that the Depot gets about three to four trucks per week which might not be enough to distribute across the state.

“We are here to ensure that the challenges facing the depot are addressed and ensure the depot runs on optimal level as we have been told that the pipelines are functioning but facing issues with vandals.”

The superintendent, Benin Depot, Atikpo Andrew, who represented the depot manager, thanked the commissioner and his team for the visit. He said the depot is faced with several challenges, which affect its operations.

He noted that collaboration with the host community and the state government, the management of the depot was checking vandalism.

The commissioner also visited headquarters of Zone 5 of the Nigeria Police Force in Benin City, where he sought the cooperation of relevant security agencies to check the activities of vandals of petroleum pipelines in the state.

Meanwhile, the state government has expressed concern over what it described as challenges and abnormalities observed in the operations of burrow pits in the state.

Commissioner Ikpea, who said this in Benin City, explained that a meeting had been scheduled for stakeholders in the sector to address the challenges.

The commissioner said: “Following series of challenges and abnormalities discovered in the operations of burrow pits in the state, all burrow pit operators are invited to a meeting with the Honourable Commissioner for Minerals, Oil and Gas slated for Thursday 22nd of August, 2019 at 1pm prompt.”

He said, “The venue for the meeting is the office of the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Minerals, Oil and Gas, Ezoti Street, Benin City.”

Hon. Ikpea further said that similar meeting will be held with tipper drivers on Thursday August 22, 2019 at 11am, as there are “series of abnormalities discovered in the haulage of minerals including sand through and within Edo State.”