The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has appealed to the Rivers State government to urgently intervene in a brewing crisis involving petroleum products distributors and transport operators in the oil and gas sector.

The association warned that if left unresolved, the dispute could escalate into a fuel scarcity crisis, disrupting the supply of petroleum products across the state.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer of PETROAN, Joseph Obele, who noted that the crisis is being exacerbated by the ‘obstructive activities’ of the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP).

PETROAN argued that ADITOP does not have endorsement within the oil and gas sector, particularly from key stakeholders such as the Minister of Petroleum and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to carry out its illegal activities.

PETROAN expressed solidarity with NUPENG and its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch, with the National President of PETROAN, Dr Billy Harry, directing all PETROAN members in Rivers State to support NUPENG and PTD.

Obele emphasised that the directive is intended to back the two unions in their efforts to resolve the crisis and restore stability to the oil and gas sector in Rivers State.

He added that if the crisis remains unresolved, it could result in severe fuel scarcity in Rivers State, leading to hardship for residents and further economic losses. Therefore, he noted that prompt action is crucial to avoid this situation.

“NUPENG has already suspended all petroleum products lifting in Rivers State due to an internal union crisis between ADITOP and PTD. The situation has led to a shutdown of the oil and gas sector in Rivers State since January 16th, with potentially severe economic implications for the state.

“PETROAN is advising the government and stakeholders to intervene quickly to resolve the crisis and prevent any disasters that could lead to billions of losses in revenue, lives, and properties,” It stated.