The Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria Nigeria (PETROAN) has explained that hitches in distributing petroleum productions from the newly rehabilitated Port Harcourt refinery were due to the poor state of the East-West Road.
The marketers decried the slow pace of work on the Eleme section of the road, saying it is sabotaging petroleum product distribution and the government’s efforts to ensure smooth distribution.
The association’s national president, Billy Gillis-Harry, said that over 60 retail stations are impacted by the road’s poor condition.
In a statement signed by PETROAN national publicity secretary Joseph Obele, he disclosed that many tankers use the road to move fuel to petrol stations.
According to a Vanguard report, Gillis-Harry said the construction firm’s slow pace of work is hampering the government’s efforts to distribute fuel smoothly from the Port Harcourt refinery.
He said:
Reports say the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, complained about the slow pace of work on that stretch of road, leading to the issuance of a seven-day ultimatum.
The PETROAN leader said thousands of trucks use the road to move products from the Port Harcourt refinery.
He disclosed that the delay is dangerous, especially on the Eleme East-West Road, an essential route for transporting petroleum products.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that petroleum marketers and three oil companies have signed a deal to establish a 50,000 barrels per day capacity refinery to enhance refining capacity in Nigeria.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) inked a deal with Claridge Petroleum Company Limited and Oasis Petrochemical Products Limited for the facility on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Billy Gillis-Harry, PETROAN national president, disclosed that the deal was signed to provide Nigerians with affordable fuel.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
