Consumer Safety: Lab analysts warn government against refining imported methanol-blended petrol

*Laboratory analysts have urged the Federal Government should save the Nigerian consumers from impending health-related diseases by urgently returning the methanol-blended fuel to the original source ‘at no extra cost’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As a timely measure to protect the health, wealth and interest of consumers in the country’s economy, the Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria (SoTLAN) has urged the Federal Government to jettison any plan to refine the imported methanol-contaminated Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol.

ConsumerConnect gathered the Analysts insisted that government should save Nigerians from impending health-related diseases by urgently returning the product to the original source overseas at no extra cost.

Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, President of SoTLAN, who gave this warning at a press conference in Lagos, frowned on the importation of the adulterated petroleum product by authorised oil companies.

Nigeria not a dumping ground for substandard products

Ogunmoyela declared while it is unacceptable to SoTLAN, the government should not condone any more of such, as Nigeria is no dumping ground for substandard products.

The SoTLAN President also said: “It is reassuring that NNPC has taken necessary steps to reject further imports of this type of product from any trader supplying fuels which contain ethanol/methanol into Nigeria.

“But the question is, why should we still be talking about substandard and contaminated products in a petroleum industry which has been prominent in our society for over 60 years?”

The expert further explained that such adulterated products could expose Nigerians to environmental and non-communicable diseases, such as cancer.

Ogunmyela as well reminded the Federal Government of the consequences of chemical wastes dumped in Koko, and other places in the country in the late eighties that led to the setting up of the Federal  Environmental Protection Agency, etc.

He stated: “It is, therefore, high time that we as professionals were given the opportunity to serve as a form of check and balance in the certification of quality of our fuel imports to help prevent the type of hardship and embarrassment we are currently experiencing on our fuel imports.”

According to Ogunmoyela, the unfortunate experience, therefore, presents an opportunity for Nigeria to re-examine the present policy and look inwards to help strengthen the capacity of local analytical laboratories by patronising them, building capacity where necessary and encouraging the growth of the sector rather than continued dependence on foreign firms.

“By Decree 100 of 1992, the government created the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria, IPAN, which thereafter amended by the IPAN Act CAP 116 LFN of 2004.

“As key stakeholders of high integrity, we should be involved in all forms of laboratory testing of products in Nigeria,” stated he.

SoTLAN President further appealed to the government to take urgent steps to support and empower Public Analysts and relevant testing laboratories to be able to safeguard the integrity of all materials for testing in the laboratories nationwide.

He also assured of the society’s support to ensure that quality and sustainable conformance of products, such as PMS is possible in the Nigerian economy.

Oil marketers to start blending adulterated petrol: Report

In a related development, oil marketers have decided to start blending the over 100 million litres of adulterated petrol, which was imported into the country recently, according to report.

ConsumerConnect gathered Tuesday, that the NNPC had yet to recall all the methanol-blended PMS, as the commodity had been occupying spaces in the tanks of filling stations in most parts of the country.

Subsequently, marketers reportedly said the situation had made it difficult for filling stations to take delivery of new products to sell to their customers.

It was also learnt that the development has worsened the scarcity of petrol, resulting in relatively long queues in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Niger, Nasarawa, and several other states.

Chief Ukadike Chinedu, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), also disclosed that some retailers in Lagos State had started blending the adulterated PMS with clean fuel.

NNPC yet to recall contaminated fuel from all filling stations, says IPMAN

On whether the national oil company had recalled all the contaminated PMS from depots and petrol stations across the country, as reported in some quarters as of Tuesday, Chief Ukadike replied: “That is not true. I also want to tell you that in our members’ filling stations, some of the ones I know in Port Harcourt, Ichie and Obigbo in Rivers State, as well as a few in Abuja, I have their names and numbers, the (adulterated) products are still in their tanks now.

“And they have been running helter-skelter to see whether they will be able to get fresh products to blend the ones in their tanks and push all of it out to the public.”

He further stated: “This is because we got information that some of our members who are in Lagos are bringing in fresh products to blend with the contaminated ones and neutralise the sulphur and methanol.”

According to him, several filling stations have yet to get new supplies that were enough to blend the adulterated products in their tanks.

“But unfortunately up till now they (filling stations) have not got new supplies and that is one of the basic reasons for the scarcity you see here and there across the country,” he  stated.

On the possibility of oil marketers’ having the capacity or equipment to blend the adulterated products with clean fuel, Chief Ukadike also disclosed that they were ready to try it, since the NNPC had yet to recall the products.

“The NNPC has a blending plant, which could have done this thing clinically and make it more appropriate. But we have waited for weeks now, and nothing has been done.

“You know, we don’t have testing machines, so marketers just want to do this permutation, considering the huge amount spent on the purchase of the products and in order to help to address petrol scarcity,” he said.

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