Details Of FG’s Meeting With Striking Tanker Drivers, Oil Marketers Emerge

The Federal Government has pledged to address the concerns of oil transporters and distributors to ensure smooth distribution of petroleum products.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, made this known Monday in Abuja when he met with some of the oil stakeholders in the downstream sector.

The stakeholders include members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The meeting became necessary following the suspension of operations by NARTO, in fulfilment of its threat to suspend the lifting of petroleum products nationwide from Monday due to the high cost of operations and maintenance of their trucks used in the distribution.

NARTO and the oil marketers had complained of the high cost of diesel, which is over N1,300 per litre required to fuel their trucks for the transportation and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.

The minister, however, said the transporters had demonstrated patriotism and assured of constant and sustained engagement to find lasting solutions to their challenges.

“Nigerians are already going through a lot as a result of the circumstances we found ourselves in.

“The issues they raised are basically commercial, and as a government, we have to intervene so that Nigerians will not suffer. At the end of the engagement, there will be a solution,” he said.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, NARTO President, Yusuf Othman, said the meeting was fruitful and productive.

The NARTO president said the minister appreciated them and assured them of the government’s readiness to tackle their challenges.

He said: “We are not fighting the government and it is not government business anymore to pay us freight rate, rather it is in the hands of the oil marketers.

“The oil marketers also made some increase in the freight rate, which should be addressed too. The minister promised to meet with us and the marketers on Tuesday.”