Matthew Asabor
Lagos — The Major Oil Marketers Associations of Nigeria (MOMAN) has assured the general public of free flow of petroleum products despite the fire break at OVH tank depot in Apapa, Lagos.
In a statement, the Chief Executive Officer, MOMAN, Mr. Clement Isong disclosed that the association in collaboration with Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) have taken steps to ensure continuous supply of petroleum products to Lagos, its environs and across the country.
‘We wish to assure members of the public that there shall be no petroleum product supply disruptions because of this event. One of the major reasons MOMAN advocates for the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector is to ensure adequate margins to finance depot safety upgrades’
Nonetheless, MOMAN as an association insists on internationally accepted safety standards and shared best practices in their self-regulation drive and cross-inspect members facilities and installations to meet these standards’ he stated.
Isong averred that their members will continue to invest in firefighting and other equipment to meet the country and jointly set standards.
He reiterated that MOMAN HSEQ Committee and the MOMAN Apapa Operations and Logistics Committee made up of experts and consultants from member companies will continuously and collectively review and update the joint Apapa Emergency Response Plan, sharing best practices and conducting joint emergency drills rehearsing different scenarios to keep the emergency response teams and neighbouring emergency response agencies ready to combat this type of eventuality.
The MOMAN boss said the association will continue to collectively self-regulate within its membership with a view to ensure continuous upgrade and update of safety equipment, practices and standards.
MOMAN revealed that the fire did not spread to any other tank within the OVH premises and certainly did not spread to any other facility outside the OVH facility.
He stated that the association will remain committed to the sustainability and institutionalization of a viable downstream petroleum industry for the social and economic growth of the country.
Isong disclosed that committees have been set up with OVH Energy Marketing Ltd specialists, safety teams and the authorities to carry out a detailed investigation in order to identify the immediate and remote causes of the fire and share learnings with all stakeholders.
Isong appreciated the effort of the Management Agency, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, NNPC, NIPCO Plc, NAPIMS, Folawiyo Energy Ltd, HOGL Energy Limited, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Police Force and the Unions within the petroleum industry who contributed many fire trucks and firefighting equipment, chemicals and firefighting foam and other firefighting resources including expertise and manpower to fight the fire.
‘As stated above the quick implementation of the previously conceived and well-rehearsed emergency response plan and the combined effort of all those mentioned above achieved the result that it was expected to be achieved in these circumstances’ he said.
