By Solomon Asowata
The year 2020 has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult years for the oil and gas industry globally in the last few decades.
It saw the Coronavirus pandemic grip nations across the globe, necessitating countries and states to lock down their borders for some time, thereby preventing movement of persons, goods and services for months unless under special circumstances.
This restriction of movement affected many sectors of the economy, but one of the worst hit was the oil and gas industry which fuels mobility of mankind and businesses across the globe.
With a sharp drop in air and land movement, the demand for Jet A1 (Aviation fuel) , Diesel and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol declined drastically.
Osatuyi said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been the sole importer of petrol and few markets operating crude for refined white products under the name, Direct Supply Direct Purchase (DSDP), which negates the principle of market deregulation of the sector.
According to him, government monopolising importation of petrol has negated the principle of equal participation.
“There is a need for the government to allow other players into the market to import petrol by making forex available at CBN official rate as promised severally by the Minister of State for Petroleum, His Excellency, Mr Timipre Sylva”.
Osatuyi said: “Government announced full deregulation of PMS (petrol) in March 2020 but we witnessed price band control up to August 2020.
[FILES] A motorist drives into a fuel station to buy fuel at Ojodu Berger district of Lagos, on September 8, 2020. – The Nigerian government has dumped a decade-long pricing regime for petrol and electricity allowing marketers to fix prices resulting in anger and tension in the oil-rich Africa’s most populous country of 200 million people. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)•
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Petroleum arketers in some parts of the country have failed to adjust the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) better known as petrol to N162, despite agreements between Federal Government and the organised labour to that effect.
The protesting workers, who locked up the first and second gates leading into the firm, told newsmen in Makurdi Thursday that the protest would continue until their demands are met.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, a Supervisor, Iorbee, said since Monday when they began the protest, the authority of the firm had not deemed it fit to address them or paid monies owed to them.
Iorbee said those who have not been paid include security guards and cleaners, who are owed between five months and one year.
“We won’t allow any work here until we are fully paid,” he said.
A COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE NIGERIAN GAS ASSOCIATION (NGA) INDUSTRY MULTILOGUES 2: 12TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EDITION HELD VIRTUALLY ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 AND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021 WITH THE THEME “POWERING FORWARD: ENABLING NIGERIA’S INDUSTRIALISATION VIA GAS”
The Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) hosted the second edition of its Industry Multilogues, rendered through its 12th biennial International Conference & Awards platforms, on February 25 and 26, 2021.
As was the first edition of the Multilogues, the 2-day event hosted virtually in conformance with COVID-19 protocols, featured over 300 participants across the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, and 35 local and international speakers comprising the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; Presidentof International Gas Union (IGU), Dr Joe Kang; the GMD of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari;and the Executive