In a bid to check the activities of unscrupulous fuel-truck drivers, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has given a three-month ultimatum to the Petroleum Equalization (PEF) to commence the tracking of the trucks’ movement from the depots right to the filling stations.
It was gathered that the PEF, through its Project Aquila, only has the capability to track fuel trucks’ movements from a loading depot to a receiving depot.
This has reportedly created a situation where petroleum products could be diverted while being moved from a receiving depot to a filling station.
The directive from the minister, it was learnt, was to check the nefarious activities of the drivers, which could be adding to the incessant fuel scarcity in the country.
Kachikwu issued this directive when he personally inspected PEF’s exhibition stand at the recently-concluded African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition (CAPE VI) in Abuja.
It was learnt that the minister’s directive will give birth to Aquilla II, which will enable the tracking of fuel tankers from the depots right down to the filling stations.
This was further confirmed by PEF’s Spokesman, Mr. Goddy Nnadi, who said that the agency had already begun implementation of the minister’s directive.