13 June 2013, Abuja – The Petroleum Equalisation Fund, PEF, management board has alerted stakeholders over the activities of “some unscrupulous marketers”’ who engage in stealing registration tags for trucks under its electronic loading scheme.
The electronic loading scheme tagged: “Project Aquila”, requires petroleum marketers and transporters to register and tag their trucks for easy tracking and processing of claims by PEF.
The General Manager, Corporate Services, of PEF, Mr Goddy Nnadi disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on in Abuja.
He said that the board had been working hard with relevant stakeholders, including the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, IPMAN, to get to the root of the matter and sanction those involved in the nefarious activity.
Nnadi, who described the activity of the syndicate as an economic sabotage to the nation said that PEF had already contacted the State Security Service, SSS, with a view to arresting the ugly trend.
“We are already working with the SSS and relevant stakeholders in the industry to bring this economic sabotage of the nation to a halt,” he said.
He said that the board had already suspended all transactions and operations with a marketer that was caught in the shady activity at the MRS Tincan Depot.
He said that the management had given directive to its staff to henceforth ensure meticulous matching of truck numbers with numbers registered on the tags.
“We have directed all depot reps to henceforth ensure and verify that the truck numbers matches with the truck number registered on their tags before commencing loading operations,” he said.
He said that the board had already begun a tour of all its depots in the country to sensitise and enlighten marketers and staff on the need for the strict and proper implementation of the electronic scheme.
It will be recalled that some marketers had allegedly complained of shortage of tagging equipment by PEF.
