The Director General of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Idris Musa, has announced the readiness of his agency to step up monitoring of operations of oil marketers in the nation’s mid and downstream oil sector.
In his address at a recent stakeholders’ meeting on compliance monitoring of the midstream and downstream oil sector in Abuja, Musa said NOSDRA would further enforce stipulated regulations.
The meeting was attended by officials of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPMAN), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and others players.
According to Musa, “We have seen a lot of oil pollution from midstream and downstream operations and we want those operating in these arms of the sector to understand some of the activities we will be carrying out shortly, just as we’ve been doing with those in the upstream arm of the industry.”
“So NOSDRA will start sending officers to oil stations belonging to members of DAPPMAN, MOMAN and IPMAN to ensure that all underground storage tanks and other facilities are in compliance with our regulations in order to effectively mitigate the pollution of our ground water and other parts of the environment,” NOSDRA boss announced.
Whereas all the stakeholders in unison, raised issue of multiple taxation from government agencies, Musa made it clear that his agency was not looking at taxation or to levy oil marketers, “but to maintain environmental safety and compliance to extant laws and regulations.”
