The current fuel crises has revealed the plan of a few oil marketers to sabotage government activities and plunge the nation into crises.

It will be recalled that some oil marketers embarked on an industrial action, to force government to pay outstanding interests on subsidy funds for fuel imported into the country .

Oil marketers have been at loggerhead with the Minister of Finance over unpaid subsidy claim. The oil marketers had insisted that the government should liquidate the remaining subsidy balance of N200.2bn; the government had earlier released N154.2bn to settle a part of the subsidy arrears owed marketers.

The marketers had insisted that they are giving the government an ultimatum of two weeks to liquidate the remaining N200Billion balance

On Saturday 16th May 2015, an SMS ordering the suspension of loading activities in all depots from Monday 18th May 2015 was sent to major player in the downstream sectors of the petroleum industry . The SMS was sent from an unknown and unconfirmed source. The SMS succeeded in crippling activities in the oil sector as all major Players; National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Depot & Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Major Oil Marketers Association(MOMAN), and Petroleum Tanker Drivers(PTD) arm of Nigeria Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG ) immediately embarked on an industrial action against the laid down procedure of embarking on a strike.

The strike succeeded in crippling socio-economic activities throughout the country . Transportation, banking, healthcare and telecommunication systems were almost grounded. Government could not get the striking parties to call off their strike, until Capital Oil and Gas industries Limited broke rank and came to the rescue of Nigerians.

To save the collapsing economy, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited announced that It has pulled out of the oil marketers’ strike and will commence the loading of 13 Million litres of petrol from its depot in Apapa for distribution to the various states to reduce the scarcity and ease the situation across the country.

Giving the reason for his intervention, the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, said he was opening his depot for petrol lifting to commence because he wanted national interest to prevail. Ifeanyi Ubah, told journalists in Lagos that more than 2,000 trucks would be loaded before May 29 to boost the country’s economic activities.

He said that the company’s facilities had the capacity to load 13 Million litres of the product within the period.

“This comes to approximately 500 trucks of petroleum products on daily basis. With this, it is our belief that once again our citizens will begin to smile and return to normal family and work life”.

“We call on other petroleum marketers to follow suit and save our nation from this impending economic and social crisis,’’ he said.

While faulting the strike, he said his company on May 16 received a message ordering the suspension of loading activities in all depots from May 18.

He said his company realised that the directive was the result of funds owed to transporters by oil marketers who in turn are owed by the Federal Government.

Ubah said that the development resulted in immense hardship for Nigerians. He noted that since then, Nigerians have suffered immense hardship, with petrol selling at an all-time high of between N500 and N1000 per litre depending on location and outlet.

“Its hardship on Nigerians and I don’t think that at this point in time our organisation should be part of any sabotage against the incoming government,” he said

Ubah described the current crisis as sabotage, saying: “We are constrained at this point and have decided that two wrongs cannot make a right. We will not be part of this sabotage against our fatherland. Therefore, from this minute, we shall take the risk of opening our facilities and commence swift loading and distribution of products nationwide.”

He also gave assurance that once the current stock is exhausted, there are vessels laden with petroleum products at the jetty waiting to berth.

He added that the situation called for patriotism and service, which was why Capital Oil truck park, port and depot reception facilities were opened and loading of products commenced for distribution to every state of the federation.

The action of Capital Oil broke the ranks of oil marketers and depot operators, who had refused to import any more products until their outstanding subsidy claims of over N200 billion is paid by the Federal Government.

The marketers became jittery over the development for fear of being labeled saboteurs, seeing they have enough fuel stock in their depots but have refused to dispense them, even as they are losing billions of Naira daily.

This forced them to speedily meet with the Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Chairman of senate committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Magnus Abe, alongside his colleague in the Upstream Committee, senator Paulker Emmanuel to negotiate a soft landing.

The Abuja meeting resolved, among others, that oil marketers and depot owners, including the NNPC must commence lifting petroleum products immediately and that depot owners must work round the clock for the next two weeks until normalcy returns across the country

But our investigation revealed the real motive of the cabal behind the strike. It has been authoritatively confirmed the strike was initiated and executed by a cabal among the marketers who wants to sabotage government activities and plunge the nation into crises. It was revealed that none of the leadership or member of the unions and associations that participated in the strike actually met to decide on the strike.

Collaborating the findings, the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah, while speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast programme on Tuesday said that his opinion was not sought in the decision to shut down the entire system.

He wondered why his company, which controls about 35% of the distribution capacity in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas sector, would be following directives from persons who probably do not have as much stake as he has in the industry.

“We don’t need to follow the same people who don’t have this kind of facility. We need to ask, who are these people we are talking about, what is their investment capacity? What is their storage capacity? What is their investment in this industry?

“And you want us every time to follow the queue of strike,” Mr Ubah queried.

He said that it was unprecedented in the country for oil marketers to go on strike for up to four days and what he expected was there to have been a warning strike before a total shut down. According to him “You don’t cage government because after God is government”.

Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association (DAPPMA) also denied ever embarking on any shut down of their depots and facilities. The Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Mr Olufemi Adewole said in a statement that it was the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and National Gas workers(NUPENG) that embarked on the strike.

But the National president of NUPENG Chief Igwe Achese, denied ever instructing his union or any arm of his union to embark on the strike. He stated that he was actually out of the country when the purported strike started. He also denied ever attention the meeting in Abuja where the resolution to call off the strike was taken.

Speaking on AIT current affairs program, Focus Nigeria, Capital Oil and Gas boss, Ifeanyi Ubah confirmed that the strike was the handiwork of a cabal among the oil marketer. He asked security operatives and Nigerians to investigate and prosecute those behind the strike.

He also call for a total removal of the fuel subsidy regimen. He said it is only when subsidy is removed that the downstream sector of Nigerian oil and gas sector can witness significant investment and turn-around.

He said Nigerians will benefit more from total deregulation of the sector.

http://www.thefocusng.com/exposed-how-oil-marketers-tried-to-sabotage-jonathan-and-intimidate-buhari-as-ifeanyi-ubah-calls-for-total-removal-of-fuel-subsidy/

Summary please!!!

They wanted a word from the incoming government regarding their pay who was unfortunately away from the country.

Rather it was Buhari's silence that brewed that action.

All i can see here is that dis op was paid to come and sing Uba's praise here. And blame a certain 'cabal' for the garrulous posture of the strikers (Uba inclusive).
My question for op is this: was Uba not complying with the strike action before turning judas and spewing rubbish?
If yes, may amadioha kiss u and uba, if NO, go and sin no more

PS: Andy Uba's capital oil is majorly a storage facility for NNPC, dats y even nnpc could not sell again when it hit everyone hard. Now tell me, someone that held the nations's fuel in his reservoir for weeks without release how can he be claiming patriotism on the eve of their evil deeds being exposed? Anuofia!