5m litres contaminated fuel not on market - BOST insists amidst calls for investigations

The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has rejected claims that its contaminated fuel product is already being sold at fuel pumps.

Five million litres of fuel product was declared off-spec after going through an in-house technical assessment and a laboratory test by the Tema Oil Refinery.

It followed what BOST termed as “human error” which led to the contamination of the product which is said to have resulted in È»7 million loss of revenue to the state.

There are fears that vehicle owners may have unknowingly patronised the impure product which experts say could cause serious damage to the engine of automobiles.

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has called for a thorough investigation into the sale of alleged contaminated fuel.

ACEP in wants Managing Director of BOST, Alfred Obeng to stay away from the company to allow for an unimpeded independent enquiry to establish the validity or otherwise of the sale of contaminated fuel.

Speaking however, on the Super Morning show on Joy FM, Tuesday, June 27, Media Relations Manager of BOST, Nana Akua Adubea Obeng insisted that the product has not been released onto the market yet.

According to Nana Adubea, BOST needed to clear its storage facility hence the decision to sell the product to companies that require it to power industrial equipment.

Although she admits 100,000 litres of the product has been lifted from the premises of BOST by oil marketing company, Movenpiina, she said the trucks are being tracked to ensure the product is not offloaded at the fuel pumps. The products were to be offloaded at a tank farm belonging to Zubs Oil at Ashaiman.

The controversy
She said: “4.9 million litres [of the contaminated product] is still sitting at the premises of BOST”.

“As at now, the tracking system has not come out with a report that any of the trucks has been seen at an obscured location,” she added.

Media Relations Manager of BOST, Nana Akua Adubea Obeng

Her position was corroborated by Chairman of the BOST Senior Staff Association, Albert Mante.

“When they [Movenpiina] lifted the product, that was when the issues started and because of that, the trucks have not moved and not discharged the product,” Mr. Mante maintained.

He added: “The commitment to the public from BOST, is to make sure that nothing goes out”.

ACEP pushes for probe
Meanwhile, Executive Director of ACEP, Ben Boakye discounted the position of BOST that they needed to sell the product to create space at their storage facility.

He said: “BOST has products that have lay there for almost 10 years but they still have not disposed of it”.

Executive Director of ACEP, Ben Boakye
“It’s a problem that we have to properly investigate…and to make sure that we actually get people punished for that,” Mr. Boakye demanded.

Unlicensed Bulk Distributor
Chief Executive for the Chamber for Bulk Oil Distributors, Senyo Horsi who joined the discussion via the phone, raised concerns over what went into the decision by BOST to sell the product to Movenpiina, since "it is not a recognized bulk fuel distribution company".

Senyo Horsi
“Moviinpeana is not known to us [BDCs]; it’s not a licensed company known to us,” he told Kojo Yankson, host of the Show.

According to Mr. Horsi, there is “no tank farm in Ashaiman that can store up to five million litres of fuel”.

“We have a real problem; you may have genuinely made a mistake so let’s take steps to correct the mistake,” Mr. Horsi advised management of BOST.

Listen to the discussion in the attached audio:

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy