By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—The loading of petroleum products commenced yesterday at the Benin Depot, four years after the Petroleum Products and Marketing Company Ltd, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, suspended the lifting of the products from the depot.

Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria, IPMAN and other marketers could not hide their joy as several tankers were observed filling their tanks at the depot’s loading bay while others tanker drivers wait for their turn.
Some of the tanker drivers, who were happy with  the development,  expressed  gratitude to the management of the PPMC and other stakeholders for their role in ensuring that petroleum products were once again lifted from the Benin Depot of the PPMC. They told Vanguard that the resumption of the lifting of petroleum products from the depot, has addressed the hardship and financial constraints faced by them, as most of them had to travel to Akure or Lagos to lift  the products.

Also commenting on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Benin Depot of IPMAN, Mr. Leo Ebugua said the resumption of the lifting of petroleum products from the depot,  has gone a long way to serving the association and others from outside Edo State.

Vanguard was told that the resumption of the lifting of petroleum products from the depot was made possible by a factional executive of the association led by Mr Victor Igile, who had promised to ensure the resumption of activities at the depot.