- As Navy detains vessel
Ejiofor Alike
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said it has sealed Nakem Depot in Kirikiri area of Lagos for receiving 1.5 million litres of petrol, which has no record of its source.
This is coming as the Nigerian Navy has also detained the vessel, MT JAZI, which discharged the petrol into the Nakem Depot.
Briefing journalists yesterday, the Lagos Zonal Controller of DPR, Mr. Wole Akinyosoye, also said the result of laboratory analysis showed that the petrol was off specification, as it failed all the basic parameters in terms of colour, flashpoint and specific gravity, thus constituting a potential threat to motorists and other potential users.
He said when the agency observed the product discharge by MT JAZI at the Nakem Jetty, it conducted an investigation, which revealed that the vessel did not have DPR authorisation to deliver the product at the depot.
According to him, the regulatory agency immediately halted the discharge and fiscalised the tanks at the depot, during which it discovered that the depot was stocking 1.5 million litres of the product discharged by the vessel.
“The Nigerian Navy was subsequently contacted to arrest the vessel. The vessel is still under the custody of the navy,” he said.
He noted that even though Nakem Depot was licensed to engage in product storage, there is no record I showing that the company engages in product importation or has any throughput arrangement with a third party.
“The DPR subsequently drew samples from the tanks at the facility for laboratory analysis. It was confirmed that the product is actually off specification, having failed all the basic parameters, especially in regards to colour, flashpoint and specific gravity. The product being dumped at Nakem does not meet the standard specifications for any white product,” he added.
Kinyosoye said the depot had been sealed, while the vessel is under the control of the Nigerian Navy.
According to him, DPR has quarantined the product, which would later be handed over to the appropriate agency of government for destruction.
“DPR wishes to use this medium to reiterate its position on zero – tolerance to illegal activities in the depots and on landing off-spec products in the facilities. As we have always stressed, depot operators should be reminded that we would not tolerate landing of products of untraceable source at the depots. The Department will continue to assiduously work to guarantee products integrity at the depots and forestall the flow of adulterated products into the retail outlets,” Kinyosoye explained.
He also reminded depot operators of the need to adhere strictly to the existing petroleum laws that permit the berthing and discharge of vessels only between sunrise to sunset.
