Victor EzejaMatrix Energy Group has said its products have always complied with approved specifications, refuting allegations that it imports substandard petroleum products into Nigeria.
The indigenous oil marketing company said it has been importing petroleum products for more than two decades and none of its products has ever failed quality tests by the downstream regulator.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe company made this known in a statement issued on Saturday, in response to a claim in an online publication that it was involved in importation of substandard petrol, diesel, and other petroleum products.
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“We have consistently imported products that meet the approved specifications, and we have never been found wanting,” a statement signed by the Head Corporate Communications, Matrix Energy Group, Ibrahim Akinola, read.
Continuing, it said: “Our commitment to quality is reflected in the fact that none of our customers have ever rejected our products; indeed, demand for Matrix products often exceeds our capacity to supply, a testament to our reputation for reliability.”
The company claimed that it has imported petroleum products in line with the guidelines provided by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and that it has never been found to be in violation of those regulations.
The firm also denied claims that 200,000 tons of substandard petrol was discharged into its facility in July 2024.
Speaking on the newly unveiled Utapate crude oil blend from OML 13, the company said a bidding process was adopted by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and that any business that wins the tender is acting legally.
“Contrary to the claims made in the aforementioned publication, we did not discharge 200,000 metric tons of PMS into our facility in July 2024. While we have the capacity and customer base to handle such volumes, Matrix Energy has never imported or distributed any substandard cargo in our two decades of operation. Our quality test has never been doubted by the regulators and Nigerians who have found a partner in us.
“It is important to note that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited recently introduced its Utapate crude oil blend from OML 13. NNPC traditionally tenders its free crude cargoes, and any company that wins the tender is operating within the law. Matrix Energy like other companies also won the tenders.”
The said online publication had reported that one of the biggest importers of petrol from Malta is Abdulkabir Aliu, a member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC).
This comes on the heels of a report that petrol imports from Malta into Nigeria increased significantly to $2.8 billion in 2023, compared to zero between 2017 and 2022, and a mere $13.32 million in 2016.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had in July alleged that some officials of NNPCL, oil traders and terminals have opened a blending plant in Malta where petroleum products are imported.
The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, however, denied the allegation, saying he does have a blending plant in any part of the world and does not know any official of the oil company involved in such.
Reacting to report linking its CEO, Aliu, to leveraging connections with NNPC top management to secure crude allocations traded by Gulf Transport & Trading (GTT), Matrix Energy said he has done no wrong.
The company added the CEO “Is a talented and dedicated Nigerian with the right to associate freely as well as trade freely in any part of the world.
On Aliu’s selection as a member of the PECC by President Tinubu, Matrix Energy said: it is “a recognition of his dedication to shared values and his commitment to the betterment of Nigeria in the Renewed Hope Agenda, for which he remains deeply grateful.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
