Online payment, allocations of petroleum products’ll reduce crisis, traffic gridlocks
Leading analysts petroleum products marketing and distribution, Ademoroti Emmanuel, has called for change from depot payments and allocation to online payment of loading and dispatch of petroleum products.
The idea according to him will among other things free the Apapa expressway and ports access roads from endless traffic gridlocks and related crisis amongst the trade unions.
He said “If online payments and confirmation of loading day and time are printed out, there will be no need for tankers to line up blocking every available road within Apapa and environs”.
Business Hilights recall that since the emergence of tank farms around Apapa area, tankers have been blocking roads for days and weeks just to wait for a loading turn which can be gotten via online booking and allotments.
“The crisis that is riddling unions like; IPMAN, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Oil and Gas Supply Association of Nigeria (OGASON), would have been averted if this system is put in place, whereby dues are paid at the point of loading. This will enable remittance to various union accounts without necessarily passing through the hands of their leaders.
According to the expert, setting up a central portal system which will enable payment of loading and dispatch dues, accrued to unions, be paid into a central portal system for onward distribution to legible unions and associations in good time.
He was upbeat, saying “the system will not only check the cause of the crisis among the leadership of the unions and members, but will also ensure accountability, at the point of revenue collection”.
“The crises that has engulfed some plants especially the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), can be attributable to the availability of liquid cash in the hands of dues collectors.
“Recently there was a crisis at the KRPC plan, Kaduna, that resulted in fatalities and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) leadership tussle has been on for the past three years, all because of controlling dues.
“This is not limited to KRPC but other loading depots in Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt are not exempted, he stressed.
“Therefore, this central portal system will not only bring transparency and accountability but will also stop unabated crisis rocking the union. It will also pave way for the leadership to use the money for welfare that will benefit members,” Emmanuel noted.
