The Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) said on Wednesday, that it has not jettisoned plans to pump petroleum products to the Aba depot in Abia.

Mr Haruna Momoh, the Managing Director of PPMC gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Momoh said that the threat by the Abia Chapter of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) to down tools was uncalled for.

“PPMC is preparing the Aba pipeline network in anticipation of pumping product to the depot. The managements of NNPC and PPMC are adopting a holistic and robust approach towards pumping petroleum products to Aba depot.

Mr. Momoh said that PPMC is currently conversing with Sappers Ltd, the engineering corporation of the Nigerian Army, to help us re-establish the right of way.

“Thereafter, depending on production of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd.,  we are going to commence pumping to Aba soonest,’’ He said.

Mr. Momoh also said that pumping of petroleum product to Aba depot by PPMC would be based on a number of factors.

He said the factors included security of the network line, adding that the entire NNPC top management visited the Inspector General of Police on March 27.

The PPMC boss said that the management was working with IPMAN and PTD security agencies and the Abia government over adequate protection of the pipeline network.

Recall that the Abia Chapter of  IPMAN and PTD on March 27, threatened to shut down should PPMC fail to supply petroleum products to Aba depot.

Mr Simple Nwamkpa, the spokesman for the group, told reporters on Tuesday that PPMC had failed to pump products even when it agreed to do so by the second week of March. Mr. Nwamkpa said that the depot had not received any supply in the last six years.

He said that IPMAN and PTD were worried over several unfulfilled promises of PPMC, even after it had carried out pressure test on the pipelines and certified them fit.

“Our patience has been over tasked because we no longer know what to tell our teeming members the reasons for PPMC not pumping products to Aba depot ,’’ he said.

Mr. Nwamkpa said that the chapter had over 700 marketers that supplied petroleum products to the entire South East and beyond.