Nigerians in diaspora ask Tinubu to probe ‘importation of adulterated petrol’

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has asked President Bola Tinubu to probe the alleged importation of adulterated petrol into the country.

Over the past weeks, there have been claims that some petrol marketers are importing adulterated petrol into the nation.

On November 3, Dangote Petroleum Refinery said any oil marketer selling petrol cheaper than the refiner is importing substandard products.

Dangote refinery made the claim after some oil marketers said the refiner’s product is higher than imported petrol.

On November 7, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited denied allegations that adulterated petrol was sold to a customer from one of its retail outlets in Keffi, Nasarawa state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Solomon Ola, ANPE president, asked Tinubu to urgently investigate the claims, noting that it could jeopardise the nation’s economy.

“Importation of the sanctioned-tainted petrol into Nigeria would no doubt have diplomatic consequences, bearing in mind the sanctions that the price cap coalition, comprising the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia, imposed on Russian-sourced crude and petroleum products,” the statement reads.

“The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has followed developments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry with concern, given the absurd positions being canvassed by some stakeholders regarding the safety of the country and citizens regarding the quality of products being retailed.

“ANPE has consequently decided to urge President Bola Tinubu, as a matter of national interest, to use his mandate as the country’s chief executive to halt the designation of Nigeria as a dumping ground for foreign-sourced tainted, adulterated, and questionable petroleum products.

“We are sad and alarmed by recent developments in Europe; from Russia to Malta and every part of Europe, our home country has become a lucrative destination for the dumping of adulterated petroleum products such as PMS, popularly known as petrol, which industry experts have tagged as fake fuel.

“Our association is concerned that the petroleum products in question are still being dumped in Nigeria even after industry experts have warned about their substandard nature, which poses material and economic risks to Nigerians whose vehicles and equipment could be damaged by dirty fuel.

“Fake fuel also has negative implications for the environment in addition to the associated dangers that the fumes from these products pose to public health, a situation that the Nigerian government would find exceptionally challenging since such a health burden would further stretch already lean public finances.

“In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Price Cap Coalition forbids transactions on crude oil and petroleum products of Russian Federation origin unless they are transacted at or below $60, a price band that the products imported into Nigeria routinely violate even when the products are of Russian origin.

“A third concern for our association is the absurdity of importing relatively pricier petrol into Nigeria when more affordable and quality options are available from local refineries.

“This insistence on flooding Nigeria with bad petrol is equally bad for the economy. It is actively sabotaging President Tinubu’s economic policy.”

The ANPE president said substandard petroleum products cannot be sold in other African countries and, as such, should not be imported into Nigeria.

“The collaborators of these European firms back in Nigeria collude to force these products on citizens of our dear nation for the sole purpose of profit-making,” he said.