Bad Fuel: Buhari, Reps Talk Tough, Say Heads Must Roll

ABUJA - President Muhammadu Buhari and the House of Representatives talked tough yesterday over the bad fuel imported into the country, saying those behind it must be held accountable.

The House at its plenary said heads must roll if the situation was to be averted in the future.

The President and lawmakers’ positions came on a day marketers distanced themselves from controversies around who brought the bad fuel into the country.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC, had late Wednesday night, listed four marketers as those responsible for bringing in the bad fuel.

This is even as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was shielding its leaders behind the importation of the product.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a statement yesterday that President Buhari ordered that producers and providers of the bad product be held accountable for sub-standard services.

He said the President’s order came on the heels of the outcry over the importation of adulterated fuel that had caused damages to car engines.

According to him, the President also gave “directives to relevant government agencies to take every step, in line with the laws of the country, to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuses and social injustices.”

The statement read:  “In a reaction to the issue of petroleum product shortages linked to the inadvertent supply of products of foreign origin into the Nigerian market, President Buhari said the protection of consumer interests is a priority of the present administration and is ready to take all necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods.

“The President directed that in line with the law, service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information concerning the consumption of their products and that dissatisfied consumers are entitled to a proper redress of their complaints.”

On its part, the House in a motion by Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno yesterday at plenary, directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited to immediately suspend the four firms said to be involved in purchasing and supply of the product.

It also asked NNPC to submit the deeds of purchase to parliament for scrutiny, while also mandating all relevant committees including   Petroleum (Downstream), Petroleum (Upstream), to look into details of purchases of petroleum products made from January till date to ascertain whether they met international standards.

The joint committee will also investigate the roles played by Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, Navy and all other regulatory agencies in the petroleum sector in the supply of the contaminated product.