TheCable

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has raised alarm over the circulation of low density grade of automotive gas oil (AGO), also known as diesel, in the south-east region of the country.

Density is “the mass of fuel per unit volume”.

Chinedu Anyaso, IPMAN chairman of the Enugu depot community in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu states, made this known in Awka on Sunday.

Anyaso said the leadership of IPMAN had received reports of damaged vehicles and industrial machines from members of the public as a result of suspected off-spec diesel.

He said the association had set up a taskforce to unravel the syndicate responsible for the distribution of the unwholesome product in the zone.

The IPMAN chairman said the distribution of such petroleum products was not just a two-fold hazard for customers, but also an economic sabotage which should be discouraged by all.

“IPMAN wants to alert members of the public, especially those buying automotive gas oil or diesel, to be cautious when buying the product because, there is a report of low density quality in circulation,” Anyaso said.

“We have received reports of possible fake product in circulation which has affected vehicles and machines negatively, so we are advising that they be more careful.

“On our part as an association, we have already set up a taskforce to monitor the situation and find out those who are responsible for sourcing and distributing the product across the zone.”

Anyaso urged marketers, especially those who do not buy from depots, to ensure that the products they are procuring are authentic, as ignorance on the part of defaulters would not be tolerated.

He added that IPMAN would work with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and relevant security agencies towards removing the unwholesome product from circulation.

In January this year, train services were disrupted along the Abuja-Kaduna route due to poor quality of diesel it received by the management.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had explained that the diesel “fell short of the specification required to operate our rolling stock, [and] was outrightly rejected after statutory laboratory test”.