By Edeki Igafe

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), says the Federal Government is committed to ensuring sustained petroleum products supply and seamless distribution in the country.

Mr. Victor Ohwodiasa, Delta Coordinator, NMDPRA, gave the assurance on Thursday in Warri, at a stakeholders? engagement/alignment meeting convened by the Warri Zonal Office of the NMDPRA on petroleum movement in state.

The initiative under `Safe-To-Load Initiative? aimed at reducing truck-in-transit accident, documentation of trucks conveying petroleum products, colour coding and branding of trucks among others.

Addressing the participants, Ohwodiasa said that the Federal Government was concerned about truck-in- transit accident and products being delayed in transit.

He emphasised that delay in oil and gas industry obviously led to additional cost in their operations.

?There is no cause for alarm, government is doing everything possible to ensure there is sustained product supply and the products are distributed without hitches,? he said.

The Delta NMDPRA coordinator added that the essence of the meeting was to avail critical stakeholders, including government security agencies on the documentations needed and others issues.

?The essence of this meeting is to have an alignment with the critical stakeholders on critical issues that require inputs and collaboration of all concerned parties.

?Some of the areas of alignment are the colour coding of trucks that convey petroleum products within the country.

?The NMDPRA is enforcing colour coding and branding of trucks for easy identification of the product the truck is conveying.

?The colour coding for Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) is light blue with 75 cm height while that of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), is a combination of deep yellow and light blue with 75 cm height.

?The Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), colour coding is deep yellow shade with 75 cm height,? he said.

Ohwodiasa referenced Section 48 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) while seeking for continued collaboration and synergy.

According to him, section 48 stipulates that any government ministry, department or agency exercising any power or function or taking action which may have direct impact on the NMDPRA operations should consult with the Authority.

He explained that the essence of the section 48 was to ensure seamless and sustained movement and distribution of petroleum products within the country.

Ohwodiasa told the stakeholders that there was need to reduce the capacity of trucks conveying petroleum products.

According to him, currently, the approved maximum loading capacity of a truck is 60,000 litres. adding that with time, the capacity will be scaled down to 45,000 litres in order to reduce truck-in-transit accident.

Ohwodiasa also drew attention of the participants to the approved emergency numbers by the Federal Government, adding that it was toll-free.

He said that the numbers were 112 and 122 and urged anybody to call whenever there was an accident for prompt response.

?The numbers were tested by participants during the meeting and they were all functional,? he said.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ohwodiasa said that the meeting was part of the regular sensitisation meetings with stakeholders, to intimate them on development in the oil and gas industry.

Ohwodiasa who expressed delight at the turnout, said that the meeting was an expanded stakeholders meeting that involved all the critical stakeholders, ?so that all of us can align on implementation and monitoring?.

He said that the meeting would be sustained based on the directives from the NMDPRA?s Chief Executive, Ahmed Farouk, that regular engagement be held for sensitisation on issues in the industry.

Some of the participants asked salient questions which were adequately responded to by the state coordinator.

Mr. Duke Obaro, the Chairman, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Delta chapter, commended the NMDPRA for convening the critical stakeholders meeting.

In attendance were representatives of the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Joint Task Force, Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp, Federal Road Safety Corp and depot operators.

Others are Mr Harry Okenini, Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Delta chapter; Mr Innocent Ejiyere, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Delta chapter and petroleum retail outlet owners. (NAN)

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