NARTO Suspends Strike, Directs Tanker Drivers To Resume Petrol Distribution

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has finally suspended its plans to embark on a nationwide strike.

The decision was reached after a meeting with stakeholders which was held at the headquarters of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority.

The meeting which was presided over by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; had in attendance the Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed; representatives of the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and others

The union also directed all its members to commence operation immediately.

The tanker drivers had ceased operations and halted the lifting of petroleum products due to severe economic conditions.

Members of NARTO had issued threats to shut down operations nationwide starting Monday, protesting against the soaring prices of Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, which fuels their trucks for transporting petroleum products throughout Nigeria.

As with Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, that has escalated to over N600 per litre, diesel prices have also soared, primarily because of the forex crisis affecting the country.

Diesel is now trading at above N1,250 per litre in Nigeria.

NARTO’s National President, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman, while speaking in an interview after the meeting said the government has resolved some of the key concerns of the union.

He said, “Our agitation is the freight rate but there has been some improvement even though it is not what we expected. But we needed to make some movement and going forward continue to negotiate with the marketing companies based on the economic realities.”

When asked if the increase in freight would affect the price of petrol, he said, “The price like I said, does not affect the increase in the freight rate. We believe that what they are selling at the pump price is adequate to take care of the increase.”

Lokpobiri, who also spoke after the meeting, said that all the stakeholders agreed to call off the strike.

He also revealed that the government has started paying some of the bridging claims, adding that more money would be released as soon as there are revenue inflows.

He added that within the next four weeks, all other areas that needed to be negotiated would have been resolved.