The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) says the suspension notice issued by the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) is justified given the country’s economic realities.
PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry announced this on Channels Television’s Business Morning broadcast, which is a component of the breakfast show Sunrise Daily.
NARTO members have threatened a nationwide shutdown beginning today (Monday) due to the high cost of Automotive Gas Oil, popularly known as diesel, which is required to power their vehicles for the transportation of petroleum products throughout Nigeria.
Like Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, which now sells for more than N600 per litre, diesel prices have risen in recent months, owing to the country’s financial problem. Diesel currently sells for more than N1,250 a litre in Nigeria.
PETROAN President, who said he has tried to establish communication with the tanker drivers, said, “NARTO has a justifiable reason to have served the notice but what we do not want to have more difficulties already to the burdens on Nigerians.
“I’m hoping that something positive will come out of that discussion and at least there will be some reprieve to get back to work and will call back that notice.
“The reality is that diesel prices are high but much more that diesel prices is the cost of maintaining trucks is getting out of the roof.
“What NARTO is complaining about is correct. Are you going to pay your drivers pittance? Are you going to use substandard materials to repair your vehicle? Things are getting so expensive every day.
“We need to move as fast as possible to give Nigerians peace of mind to go about their activities.
“What I expect is that the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Oil and Gas and the Presidency should have a robust discussion.”
Gillis-Harry said beyond major energy marketers, regulatory agencies and marketers should be concerned about the whole situation. He lamented that extraordinary levies leveled on marketers paid to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) should also be addressed.
“The amount of money we pay to NUPENG is completely unacceptable to us. We cannot be paying so much money that translate to over N400 a litre and then we will go to the market to sell at prices that will become difficult for us to explain to our patriots,” he said.