AMFSON Tackles NNPC Boss Over Plan to Close Mega Stations
AMFSON Tackles NNPC Boss Over Plan to Close Mega Stations
By Alex Uangbaoje
Association of Mega Filling Stations Owners of Nigeria (AMFSON) has said that any move by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, to close about 500 retail outlets would be resisted through legal and due processes.
The GMD of the NNPC had within the week given a hint at a meeting with energy editors in Lagos that the impending closure of the franchise outlets was as a result of rising debt profile which the parent body could no longer shoulder in the face of its dwindling revenue.
However, addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, the National Secretary of AMFSON, Comrade Kenneth Nwachukwu, said the allegation by NNPC Boss that operators of mega stations were piling up debts was unfounded and baseless since supply of NNPC products has been on cash and carry basis in the past three years.
Nwachukwu stressed that if lifting the petroleum products had been on cash and carry basis, there couldn’t have been room for rising debts profile as alleged by the GMD.
He advised that the GMD should focus his searchlight on the NNPC staff who may be in the habits of diverting petroleum products to black markets for their own selfish interest.
He noted that if affiliate outlets are closed down, it could amount to running back the country into underdevelopment, adding that the importance of retail outlets could not be overemphasized if healthy economy is to be achieved and sustained.
“If I may add here that personally my company, and I believe other members of our association had paid cash deposit for the supply of NNPC products for the past three months without receiving the supply, so how can we be said to be piling up debts. This is a baseless allegation which we will not take lightly with the GMD.
“And I repeat, we will not take this issue lightly with GMD, and if it means going to court over the threat to close over 500 outlets across the country, we will not hesitate to adopt this legal option of protecting our rights.
“AMFSON is planning to have a meeting with the GMD to clarify this issue and other matters relating to the operation of our businesses”.
“How can NNPC send over 10,000 workers back to the labour market at the time the Federal Government is making concerted effort to create employment for teaming unemployed persons in the society”. Nwachukwu said.
However, in the meeting held in Lagos with energy editors, the GMD insisted that, “For now, we will be returning to our initial 20 fuel stations while we grow capacity gradually. The present affiliate arrangement is not working for the retail company. But we will keep working to come up with other sustainable options to keep the initiative moving”.
