Kunle Kalejaye 13 July 2016, Sweetcrude, Lagos – The Pipelines and Product Marketing Company Limited, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has said it will commence investigation into berthing constraints of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, vessels in Lagos jetties.
PPMC’s Managing Director, Alhaji Ahmed Farouk, who stated this during the official commissioning of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, building and resource centre in Lagos, stated that the allegation of PPMC officials’ involvement in diverting LPG vessels to private jetties would also be investigated.
Farouk noted that the ageing government jetties of over 40 years which receive different petroleum products vessels, including LPG, was a huge factor, noting that efforts were on to improve their efficiency by working with relevant stakeholder.
“The jetties are over 40 years old since they were built, obviously it wasn’t what was expected but right now what we are basically trying to do is to improve their efficiency.
“We are trying to work with our partners to ensure that we can sequence vessels to berth better; use the facility that we currently have, and I think if we use it efficiently we will still be able to make progress until we are able to build additional jetties. But, right now, those jetties are 40 years old and so there will definitely be some constraint,” he said.
PPMC’s Executive Director, Supply and Distribution, Mr. Justine Ezeala, representing Alhaji Farouk, said the issue of PPMC officials colluding to divert LPG vessels to private jetties was new to him, noting that steps would be taken to address the situation.
Recalled that LPG marketers had last month accused PPMC officials of colluding with a private jetty operator (Navgas) in diverting LPG vessels, stating that the price of the product more than tripled in a week due to the development.
