Uche Usim, Abuja
In its quest to ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products for security of national assets, the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) has acquired 20 operational vehicles delivered to its state chapters to achieve the aforesaid goals, while ensuring members operate within set rules.
President of NOGASA, Mr. Benneth Korie, who handed over the operational vehicles to the state chapter Chairmen in Abuja recently, charged its members nationwide to source petroleum products from government designated depots only.
Speaking to journalists shortly after NOGASA National Executive Council’s (NEC) Korie said the association was fully determined to complement government’s efforts towards reducing pipeline vandalism, products adulteration and other criminal activities.
According to him, NEC, as part of the efforts to check vandalism and oil theft in the country, has fully resolved to the issue Suppliers Trust Way Bill and Supplier’s Trust receipts to members to identify and distinguish those who buy products from government approved depots and those who do not.
He said: “The NEC approved that the association will issue suppliers trust way bill, the way bill will be used to identify its members that lift their products from government approved depots”.
“The trust supplier’s way bill will help our monitoring units to identify those who load their products from government approved depots. This is a way of checking those who brings bad products (products from vandalized), if any.
“The trust way bill is designed to help us identity ourselves and as well check mate ourselves,” he said.
He said the association is in talks with commercial banks to facilitate the issuance of loans to its members to fund their LPOs (Local Purchase Order).
“We are discussing with the banks and any moment from now we will complete the process and sign agreements. The process will provide a platform whereby any member of the association that secures an LPO from any company operating in the country and wants to take loans from the banks we will support by standing as guarantors to make sure such loan is secured and when it is secured we on our part will ensure that the product is delivered and the money paid to the bank.
“This is part of what we are discussing with the banks and I am sure that before the end of the month will conclude that process,” he added.