By Chioma Obinna

The Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria, SoTLAN, on Tuesday, urged the federal government to forget any plan to refine the imported methanol–contaminated petroleum motor spirit.

The Analysts insisted that government should save Nigerians from impending health-related diseases by urgently returning the product to the original source at no extra cost.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos, the President of the Society, Professor Olugbenga  Ogunmyela, condemned the importation of the adulterated petroleum product by authorised companies.

He added that while it is unacceptable to SoTLAN, the government should not condone any more of such, as Nigeria is no dumping ground for substandard products.

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“It is reassuring that NNPC has taken necessary steps to reject further imports of this type of product from any trader supplying fuels which contain ethanol/methanol into Nigeria.

“But the question is, why should we still be talking about substandard and contaminated products in a petroleum industry which has been prominent in our society for over 60 years?” he wondered.

Explaining that such adulterated products could expose Nigerians to environmental and non-communicable diseases such as cancer, Ogunmyela reminded the federal government of the consequences of chemical wastes dumped in Koko and other places in the country in the late eighties that led to the setting up of the Federal  Environmental Protection Agency, etc.

“It is therefore high time that we as professionals are given the opportunity to serve as a form of check and balance in the certification of quality of our fuel imports to help prevent the type of hardship and embarrassment we are currently experiencing on our fuel imports.

He said the unfortunate experience, therefore, presents an opportunity for Nigeria to re-examine the present policy and look inwards to help strengthen the capacity of local analytical laboratories by patronising them, building capacity where necessary and encouraging the growth of the sector rather than continued dependence on foreign firms. 

“By Decree 100 of 1992, the government created the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria, IPAN, which thereafter amended by the IPAN Act CAP 116 LFN of 2004.

“As key stakeholders of high integrity, we should be involved in all forms of laboratory testing of products in Nigeria.

He further appealed to the government to take urgent steps to support and empower Public Analysts and relevant testing laboratories to be able to safeguard the integrity of all materials for testing in the laboratories nationwide.

He pledged the society’s support to ensure that quality and sustainable conformance of products such as PMS is possible in Nigeria.

Vanguard News