The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, has agreed to call-off their strike with immediate effect, as they have also agreed to commence the immediate lifting of petroleum products across Nigeria in the next six hours.
According to Magnus Abe, who is the chairman Senate committee on Petroleum resources, the agreement was reached after a meeting of MOMAN, the Commitee alongside the minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy Ngozi Okoko-Iweala as well as Joseph Dawha, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and major stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have suspended their strike also, at the meeting Finance Minister,
Okonjo-Iweala said that the current scarcity of fuel in the country was caused by “some forces” among the major oil marketers who were bent on making the government of President Goodluck Jonathan look bad.
According to the minister out of the N200 billion that the marketers were asking for, “N159 billion is unclarified claims
“If a finance minister is to sign on to that amount without making sure that this amount is really what it is, will Nigerians not accuse of fraud?”.
“I don’t want to be part of any accusation of fraud. We must verify properly.
“What is happening is a deliberate attempt to sabotage this economy and bring the government to a standstill; to make the administration look bad so that Nigerians will feel the government has not done anything.”
According to MOMAN, they said their N159 billion was genuine as he said; “We want all our money because we don’t trust the government.”
However, Magnus Abe said; “I’m glad to announce to all of us that we have been able to reach some understanding that will bring immediate solution to the supply and distribution of petroleum products.
“The minister of finance will give an undertaking to the major oil marketers and DAPMAN that will work on the committee being headed by the CBN to verify the outstanding claims.
“If it is concluded before the end of the life of this administration, it will be reflected in the handover; if it is not, it will also be reflected in the handover note. On the basis of that agreement, MOMAN would offer whatever cooperation is needed for lifting of products to commence within the next six hours.
“DAPMAN is to instruct all depots to open; lifting of products should commence within the next six hours any depot that does not open will have its license revoked in the national interest.”
According to Abe he said it was agreed that all relevant NNPC staff and depots would work for 24 hours, including on Saturday, until normalcy returns to system.
“I like to thank the chairman and all senators present. If this meeting had taken place two weeks ago, we wouldn’t have been where are today,” MOMAN representative said.
“Whatever disagreement has been resolved to a reasonable extent.”
Meanwhile the National Association of Road Transport Workers (NARTO) said it had directed it members “to mobilise their trucks to all depots where there are products for lifting”.
Even as the Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPMAN), said it had directed its members to open their depots for fuel to be lifted.
