Methanol in petrol: Affected buyers can sue NNPC for damaged cars, says IPMAN

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is in the position to pay damages to affected Nigerians.

The Secretary of IPMAN, Mr. Ismail Osatuyi, stated this Thursday, when he appeared on ARISE TV.

He said Nigerians affected by the adulterated fuel have the right to sue NNPC being the sole importer of fuel in the country and should be responsible for the payment of damages.

Recall that the presence of methanol in four petrol cargoes imported into the country from Antwerp in Belgium has not only disrupted the country’s fuel supply chain, the product has also led to the damage of several cars.

Osatuyi said: “The buyers – Nigerians that had their vehicles spoiled have the right to take legal action. And we have told our members that we have to know who were affected, which stations, which companies. So that we can also pass the information to the government, because since we are not responsible for the importation, then, there must be restitution and that is the fact. And the government has to come in this time around for them to mitigate whatever damage they have done to Nigerians’ vehicles and individuals.”

Osatuyi was of the opinion that if the country’s four refineries were working, such a problem wouldn’t have occured in the first place.

When asked if he was confident that NNPC would reimburse IPMAN members in any way or bear the cost, Osatuyi said the government agency has no choice but to compensate them, else, the association would take legal action.

According to him, “They have no choice this time around. These are facts and figures. It is only when we engage them in discussion and say these are the figures, these are the facts, and they are trying to be funny, then we can now look at what we can do within the ambit of the law.”