Speaking in an interview with yesterday, Meggison reasoned that the marketers could have used their licences got from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to import kerosene and that instead of selling it to the public, they sell it to airline operators as aviation fuel.
“When the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) gave marketers licences to import aviation fuel, they use the licences to import kerosene and instead of selling it to the public, they sell it to airline operators as aviation fuel,” he said.
He stated that the European Union (EU) which investigated the matter had traced the source of the mixed up in the aviation fuel and had discovered that it originated from Nigeria.
He disclosed that as a result of the EU findings, the body directed its airlines to stop buying aviation fuel from Nigeria and also wrote to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that the fuel coming out of Nigeria was contaminated but lamented that NCAA did nothing about it.
He, however, explained that Kerosene and aviation fuel are almost the same, adding that the only difference is the purity, adding that aircraft could use kerosene but that over time, it would destroy the aircraft engine as the filters would jam.
Attempts to make him mention some of the marketers involved in the alleged contamination of aviation fuel and the shady deal failed, as he was not willing to do so.
“Let NCAA go and investigate the matter since it is the regulator of the industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) has absolved its members from such shady deal.
Chairman of the Association, Femi Olawore, said none of the members of the association has received allocation for kerosene from NNPC since 2011, wondering who could be selling kerosene as aviation fuel among his members.
A source at one of the depots, however, said nothing is impossible in the country, adding that some unscrupulous marketers could do it because of the disparity in price.
He said the official price of kerosene at the depot is N50 while aviation fuel goes for N120.
He also said that the flash point between kerosene and aviation fuel is close, saying that the two products could be used interchangeably without much difference.
He explained that aviation fuel could be used to cook at home just like the way kerosene could be used on aircraft but said that the use of kerosene on airline would eventually damage it in the long run.
He also noted that tankers used to load products different from one adding that marketers could swap products along the line.
He said airline operators cannot be totally exonerated as well, saying that it could be a collaborative effort between the marketers and airline operators looking for cheap ways of reducing operational cost.
“How are we sure the airlines are not collaborators in it. They may be looking for a cheap product since they know that one can be used for the other. The kerosene will work in the aircraft but in the long run it will damage the aircraft,” he explained.
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