By Amin Kef Sesay
The National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) was among business entities in the country that encountered serious challenges in 2020 mainly as a result of the outbreak of the corona virus.
Being a petroleum marketing company, the products that the company markets to its numerous customers around the country, which includes diesel, petrol, gas and lubricants, of which Castrol Oil all considered to be of high quality, are largely imported.
Indeed, the severity of the impact of the corona virus globally forced some business entities to shut down.
However, in the case of NP-SL Ltd, due to efficient Managerial initiatives the company survived the daunting challenges in 2020 and still continues to weather the storm, availing its esteemed customers with its high grade products.
In 2020, the company opened Filling Stations in places within the country where they were hitherto non-existent. For example, the company commissioned a refurbished Filling Station on Black Hall Road in the East End of Freetown. It also opened an ultra-modern Filling Station in Kailahun on Saturday 11th July 2020 during a well -attended programme that attracted personalities from various walks of life.
The programme was evident of the leading petroleum marketing company’s commitment to make their products and services accessible to all. The aforementioned Filling Station is situated in Luawa Chiefdom in the Kailahun District named after the owner’s nickname, British NP.
At Masiaka the company opened another ultra-modern Filling Station on Sunday 27th December, 2020 during an event that took place at Bekeh Curve, Port Loko Road, Masiaka in the Koya Chiefdom and was named after the owner, Haja Mariama Kamara.
In her address, the Proprietress/General Manager of Mariama Petroleum SL LTD, Haja Mariama Kamara (Mrs) expressed appreciation to the Chief Executive Officer, Kobi Walker and the entire Management of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited for their tireless support in ensuring that the establishment of the filling station becomes a success.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP SL-Ltd), Kobi Walker, assured residents of Masiaka that with this new NP-SL fuel station the issue of fuel shortage will be a thing of the past.
On the 19th March 2020 the company imported 19,500 metric ton of fuel which it offloaded in the evening hours of at their terminal. Immediately after offloading, the indigenously owned fuel company went into top gear supplying bowsers with fuel for onward transportation and supply to their various stations across the country. That move further earned the company the respect of the nation.
Kobi Walker noted that in line with their aim and vision to ensure that the petroleum needs of individuals and institutions are timely met in a very transparent manner, the company wasted no time to see that petroleum supply is brought into the country.
On Thursday 2nd April, 2020 the company donated one Billion Leones to the Covid-19 Fund as its own contribution towards combating COVID-19. The donation was done at the forecourt of the Emergency Operation Centre at Cockerill in Freetown. Present at the occasion were the Ministers of, Defence, Health and Sanitation, Water Resources, Youths, Sports, and Trade and Industry.
It must be noted that the company had been complementing the efforts of Government through the payment of taxes which shows that with the empowerment that the company is getting from Sierra Leoneans through the purchase of their products they are also giving back to society through job creation, payment of taxes to the Government and also empowering other Sierra Leoneans.
Again , as a way of fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility, the National Petroleum Company, constructed and commissioned an ultra-modern water facility, powered by a kva generator it donated, for the National Fire Force, Kissy Branch. This took place in 2020.
In another major recent achievement, the National Petroleum-SL Ltd bagged six (6) prestigious awards in recognition of its outstanding dedication and passion for excellent service delivery in the country.
On the 18th December, 2020 the Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL Ltd, Kobi Walker, was awarded as the Best Chief Executive Officer of the Year during the Diaspora Focus National Achievements Award 2020.
He was awarded for demonstrating exemplary leadership and for taking the company to higher heights.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer was also recognized as one of 100 outstanding Sierra Leoneans at the Sierra Ovation Award team on the 10th December 2020.
Prior to that, the Human Resources & Admin Manager of NP-SL, Mrs Georgiana Williams as well as Saidu Mansaray of the same company and who happens to be the Finance Manager were also honoured among Top 100 Rising Stars and Emerging Leaders of the year 2019/2020 by the Sierra Ovation Awards.
The other award that NP-SL received was a meritorious award from NASSIT for Compliance to the Social Scheme. The event took place on Friday 11th December 2020 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown during the annual NASSIT Employer Banquet and Award Ceremony.
Another award was dished out on the 12th December, 2020 and it was given by the Vimetco Holdings Bauxite Mining Company, Gundama, in Sierra Leone for the company’s outstanding performance as well as for rendering assistance to the mining company when they were facing financial constraints particularly in 2013.
The mining company dished out the award on Saturday 12th December, 2020, when the Management and Staff were joined by stakeholders such as Paramount Chiefs, Parliamentarians, Council Chairmen, Councillors, community representatives etc to celebrate the company’s 10th Year Anniversary.
Receiving the award from Vimetco, Sales Manager of NP-SL, Vandy Bockarie, extended appreciation to the entity for bestowing the recognition on the charismatic and result oriented Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL.
He assured that NP-SL will continue to enhance the bilateral relationship between the two companies, adding that they are not only in the country to market their products but to also serve as a pillar of strength to other companies that are in dire need of assistance in order to sustain their operations.
He also disclosed that during those times when Vimetco was grappling with financial constraints to effectively operate it was NP-SL that was there for them and if for that they decided to reward NP-SL as a way of expressing gratitude.
In another development, NP-SL also installed the latest Helix T-Media calibrated pumping machine at its Siaka Stevens filling station. The Helix T-Media calibrated pumping machine seemingly works as an advertisement gadget. Its difference with the former or normal calibrated pumping machine is that it has a television screen which displays all the products that NP has for sale.
It avails customers the opportunity to have a thorough knowledge of what the company is offering for sale. It therefore enables customers to tap into a much wider pool of the company’s products like NP-SL Gas, NP Smart, Castrol Oil etc among a host of others.
NP-SL is the first Petroleum Company operating in this country to have introduced it, adding that with this new machine, customers can now see a display of the various products available at NP-SL filing stations while purchasing their fuel at their convenience.
It must be reiterated that although 2020 was a very challenging year for the National Petroleum- Sierra Leone Limited, mainly because of the prevalence of the corona virus, however, the company doggedly survived it and continues to steadily operate.
One would have expected that since the company imports its petroleum products that it markets, amidst the fact that there are some shipping companies that were seriously hit, the prices of its products would have gone up, however, admirably the prices have remained stable.
The same situation, of its steady operations, obtains in other countries within the West African sub-region, namely neighbouring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia where the company is vibrantly functioning or operating.
From the aforementioned, there is no wonder why N P-SL Ltd is considered as 1st For Customer Care.
As at now the company is resolutely poised to do more in terms of efficient service delivery in this New Year, 2021.
