By Amin Kef Sesay
In another article published on the 19th August 2021 by one of the most loathsome and discredited local tabloids in Sierra Leone titled, “Why is NP Jittery over APP?” the author once more succeeded in not only exposing his gross folly, ignorance of what constitutes the petroleum dynamics, landscape in the country, the tasks that key players are performing but also his burning intention, as an hired operative, to smear the impeccable image and good reputations of viable and respectable business entities in the country.
What convincing facts can the author, who seems to be suffering from a warped mentality, put forward to justify his erroneous and baseless assertions he highlighted in the said article: “The National Petroleum Sierra Leone (NP-SL), whose operation within the oil industry is only limited to buying of petroleum products from importing companies is jittery over the arrival of All Petroleum Products (APP), known to be another company that has what it takes to liberalize the oil industry.
Before the arrival of APP, NP-SL and Leone oil , who are the two major companies in Sierra Leone, have never imported any petroleum products, other than buying from Petroleum Importing companies. It is understood that the arrival of APP, which is known to be credible, serious and vibrant oil company, has worried both NP-SL and Leone Oil, as Sierra Leone oil industry will now be open for more players.”
The sweeping claims he made could only be best described as mere bunkum as they indeed make no sense. It is an open secret that the National Petroleum –Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is a seasoned company that is mainly engaged in the importation and marketing of petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, gas, lubricants such as the widely used Castrol Oil plus gas cookers known as NP Gas. NP-SL Ltd has been doing such for quite a considerable period of time now, spanning forty years, to such an extent that the business entity has now become a household name.
To put the records straight, the petroleum importing and marketing entity, out of the selflessness of its founders, shareholders and through the injection of sound managerial policies, succeeded in opening branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia where it is marketing the aforementioned petroleum products and rendering related services to its numerous and esteemed customers.
Besides, because it is a credible business entity certain savvy individuals decided to partner with NP-SL Ltd to open Filling Stations in different parts of the country with the latest one commissioned in Kenema last week Saturday. Today one can find NP Filling Stations strategically located everywhere in the country and the process continues.
The company has provided jobs to many Sierra Leoneans as well as it continuesto pay huge taxes which goes into the Consolidated Revenue Funds to be used by the Governments in the countries where it has its presence to fund different development projects.
It must be underscored that NP-SL Ltd, over the years, has weathered so many storms that could have sent it off track but the doggedness and resilience of both the shareholders and Management kept it surmounting those odds and keep it intact. Put into proper perspective, for over 40 years now the company has offered unblemished services to the country vis-à-vis other international companies like Mobil, Texaco, Shell etc that folded up as they could not endure external pressures.
The rhetorical question that one may tend to ask is: Why should NP-SL Ltd be jittery over the All Petroleum Products (APP) Company which is considered to be owned by 419ners?
For the attention of the author of the thrash cum article: How can NP-SL Ltd ,a company with such a high pedigree be jittery over ‘cowboys and gangsters’ parading themselves as investors?Indeed, one could only conclude that it is only myopic minds and useless idiots that will compare cheese and chalk.
NP-SL Ltd is indeed not averse to any form of competition whatsoever as it views such as significant for overall national development. However, if such a competition is healthy then it is good and fine for the nation but otherwise it must be discouraged.
The coming of another investor, in the guise of APP, is good and welcoming but the manner in which this new company wants to enter the petroleum landscape is something that is uncouth and totally not in tune with best practice.
However, based on thorough investigation mounted by this medium it was understood that there is some behind the scene manipulation allegedly being masterminded by senior officials within the Ministry of Trade and Industry and other public officials who are bent on undermining a credible indigenous petroleum importing and marketing entity, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited in favour of a wheeler-dealer company or flight by night investor simply for personal aggrandisement. For some, greed could lead them to slaughter the nation on the altar of personal aggrandizement. What a shame!
What again is beating the imagination of many is that the regulatory agency for all petroleum marketing entities, the Petroleum Regulatory Agency(PRA) has so far done nothing tangible to prevent the impasse between NP-SL Ltd, Leonoil on the one hand and the APP on the other hand which manifests the gross incompetence of the man at the helm of affairs at PRA in the person of the Executive Chairman, Dr. Brima Baluwa Koroma. Sheer astuteness and sound leadership intervention could have been used by him to put a rest to the impasse but failing to do so speak volumes of something clandestine.
Let it be noted that no amount of threats or intimidation will cower NP-SL Limited as the company will continue to conduct its normal operations in the best interest of all and sundry as well as for the overall development of the nation. May Common Sense Prevail!
