DPR fines Oando over bad fuel

Komolafe Rasheed, Lagos - 05.03.2008

THE Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has slammed a fine of the value of 14,000 metric tonnes of fuel on Oando Nigeria Plc for allegedly importing the bad fuel that caused panic in Lagos last week.

However, Oando Plc has vowed to press legal actions against the company that imported the fuel into the country on its behalf. A source in the company said the importer acted against its contractual agreement with Oando by importing the bad fuel as against the specification requested by Oando.

DPR told newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday that the offensive fuel contained 20 per cent ethanol as against five per cent allowed in Nigeria. DPR had last week confirmed that it received complaints from the public relating to the quality of petrol being dispensed from some outlets in the Lagos area.

The department said it had ordered immediate quarantine of the affected products, stopped further distribution and also directed the recall of the products in-transit in all marketers’ distribution chain.

The department assured Nigerians that every effort was being made to ensure the supply of products that meet approved specifications.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has banned the Swiss firm, Gurgen, which imported the adultrated fuel on behalf of Oando into the country.

The directive banning the Swiss firm was issued on Tuesday by DPR. DPR’s Director, Tony Chukwueke, said the Swiss firm had been banned from supplying imported fuel to marketers in Nigeria.