Mkpoikana Udoma 04 July 2016, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has frowned at repeated cases of diversion of petroleum products meant for Rivers State which often results to scarcity in the state.
The union therefore appealed to the independent marketers Branch to arrest diversion of products meant for the Port Harcourt zone of the union which is made up of nine states, including Abia, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Enugu and Delta states.
Acting chairman of NUPENG, Port Harcourt Zone, Mr. Charles Eleto, made the appeal when the Independent Marketers branch of NUPENG paid him a courtesy visit at the weekend.
Eleto, who himself is a product of the Independent Marketers Branch of NUPENG, said he will complement the efforts of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, and the Rivers State Ministry of Energy Resources, by not allowing the zone to experience scarcity of petroleum products.
He said the appeal is imperative since the independent marketers are the ones in charge in the depots before petroleum products are despatched to various destinations.
“The Independent Marketers Branch of NUPENG are the ones working directly at the depots; before any product is dispatched to anywhere, without them signing the waybill on behalf of the marketers, that product will not leave the depot to any destination.
“Any product that is allocated to Rivers State and other nine states of the Port Harcourt zone should not be diverted to other states. If the product is meant for Rivers State, ensure it is not diverted because you want to make profit and suffer the masses.
“As long as I am the chairman of NUPENG, I will never allow any form of scarcity. The filling stations too should not sell above government’s approved pump price,” he said.
