By Our Reporter.
A former Special Assistant to Governor Umo Eno on Media, Mr. Sam Osung, has revealed that most of the fuel being sold in Akwa Ibom State is not Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), but Naphtha, a lower-quality industrial fuel.
TheHILL understands that Naphtha is a flammable liquid used as a solvent and not suitable for cars since it burns faster than PMS and this would cause consumers to use more fuel than expected. Using Naphtha in a car engine could cause damage.
However, Mr. Osung’s revelation comes amidst a severe fuel crisis in the state, with all petrol stations closing down due to the withdrawal of services by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
His words: “Most of them are so mischievous that they now sale NAPHTHA as PMS. Naphtha is an industrial hydrocarbon with a lower viscosity, you buy it and it burns fast and you cannot explain, all of this should be monitored by an independent taskforce.”
Osung, who was recently relieved of his appointment, made this claim via Facebook and WhatsApp. He accused IPMAN of intentionally plunging the people into hardship by hiking fuel prices for nearly a week before shutting down their operations entirely.
According to him, IPMAN gave less than 12 hours’ notice before withdrawing their services, which has caused widespread inconvenience and frustration among residents.
Osung questioned whether the detention of IPMAN trucks by the security outfit, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), was the real reason for the price hikes and station closures.
He pointed out that talks were ongoing between IPMAN, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), and security agencies, and if the issue was purely about the trucks, there would have been no need to shut down retail outlets.
He also criticized some certain persons in Government, accusing them of “romancing with saboteurs” and being too lenient with IPMAN.
Osung particularly condemned the appointment of a petroleum marketer who is an active IPMAN member as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Petroleum, calling it a mistake.
Meanwhile, TheHILL reliably gathered that a meeting between the warring stakeholders in the state’s petroleum sector, security agencies, and labour union leaders is ongoing at the behest of the Akwa Ibom State Government, aimed at resolving all issues and restoring normalcy.
