The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgent national importance, halt the dumping of tainted petroleum products, also known as fake fuel, being imported into the country.
This was contained in a statement made available to the press in Abuja on Wednesday by the Global President of ANPE, Mr. Solomon Ola.
The group called on President Tinubu to initiate an urgent investigation into the recent trend of infiltrating Nigeria’s market with products capable of putting the lives of citizens in great jeopardy.
It warned that “the importation of sanctioned, tainted petrol into Nigeria would no doubt have diplomatic consequences, bearing in mind the sanctions imposed on Russian-sourced crude and petroleum products by the Price Cap Coalition, comprising the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia.”
According to the group, “Tinubu is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who also serves as the Minister of Petroleum Resources of the most populous African country, Nigeria, and a major player in global oil production.”
“Despite being a major oil producer, Nigeria still battles with the importation of refined products, on which over 150 million end users largely depend. The nation’s refineries—Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt—remain inoperative, despite the billions of dollars invested by the current administration.”
“Aside from allegations of frustrating the only viable local refinery, Dangote, the oil cartels have also been accused of encouraging the importation of off-spec and adulterated products into the country. These allegations are currently under investigation by the National Assembly Joint Committee.”
ALSO READ: Ondo guber: PDP accuses APC of violating peace accord
The statement further reads, “The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has followed developments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry with concern, given the absurd positions being expressed by some stakeholders regarding the safety of the country and its citizens in relation to the quality of products being retailed.”
“ANPE has, consequently, decided to urge President Bola Tinubu, as a matter of national interest, to use his mandate as the country’s chief executive to halt the designation of Nigeria as a dumping ground for foreign-sourced tainted, adulterated, and questionable petroleum products.”
“We are saddened and alarmed by recent developments in Europe, from Russia to Malta, where our home country has become a lucrative destination for the dumping of adulterated petroleum products such as PMS, popularly known as petrol, which industry experts have labeled as fake fuel.”
“Our association is concerned that these petroleum products are still being dumped in Nigeria, even after experts have warned about their substandard nature, which poses material and economic risks to Nigerians whose vehicles and equipment could be damaged by dirty fuel.”
“Fake fuel also has negative implications for the environment, in addition to the associated dangers posed by the fumes from these products to public health. This situation would present an exceptionally challenging burden to the Nigerian government, as such a health burden would further stretch already lean public finances.”
“The importation of sanctioned, tainted petrol into Nigeria would no doubt have diplomatic consequences, considering the sanctions that the Price Cap Coalition, comprising the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia, has imposed on Russian-sourced crude and petroleum products. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Price Cap Coalition forbids transactions involving crude oil and petroleum products of Russian Federation origin unless they are transacted at or below $60—a price band that the products imported into Nigeria routinely violate, even when of Russian origin.”
“A third concern for our association is the absurdity of importing relatively pricier petrol into Nigeria when more affordable and quality options are available from local refineries. This insistence on flooding Nigeria with bad petrol is equally harmful to the economy. It is actively sabotaging President Tinubu’s economic policies.”
“Things have deteriorated to the point where Nigeria has become the preferred destination for European companies peddling these products, which cannot be sold in other African countries such as Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, South Africa, Angola, Kenya, and others. The collaborators of these European firms in Nigeria collude to force these products on the citizens of our dear nation for the sole purpose of profit-making.”
“ANPE is, therefore, alerting Mr. President and calling for caution while demanding that he direct the relevant authorities to urgently investigate and stop this illegal trade that places the nation and its citizens in jeopardy.”
