Can Nile- Pet Successfully Supply the Country With Enough Fuel?
By Thon Atem Ayiei, Juba, South Sudan
November 16, 2016 (SSB) — Yesterday night while I was concluding my article about United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), one of my best friends phoned me to write an article about Nile Petroleum Operating Company Limited (Nile-Pet), the leading oil importing company and a government own entity. I responded to him that I am now working on a pressing article about UN misperception to protect and to provide humanitarian needs to the suffering people of south Sudan.
Secondly, this institution is a free-pub for anyone in charge to grab enough money in less than a month because of the contradiction incurred by the ministry of petroleum to mingle themselves in the activities of entitled business institution.
In the morning as I was going for work, I usually used public means to take me to juba town, on my way reaching Nile-Pet Mobil patrol station I was surprised by a very long line of vehicles lining for fuel from the patrol station up to the whole of Hai-cinima residential area. I asked myself, Will all these vehicles be able to get fuel? But the driver of the taxi was very bitter about Nile-Pet mismanagement and he said if I were the President of the republic, I would have sacked the entire company of the Nile petroleum to bring the management to be tried in the court of law.
Immediately I withdraw my past conclusion and I decide to acknowledge the interest of my friend and to give him what he wants, although I am not an expert of petroleum engineering or management but my little experience in the business field and the outcry of the general public, had given me courage to write this article.
During Mr. Joseph Cleto Kuel regime, I wrote an article condemning his failed system and I urged him to resign than to be sacked by the presidential decree if he is to save his reputation as a young man with a lot of potentials to lead other major office in future. I also condemned him for the appointing of unqualified candidates to the sensitive departments like Downstream, logistic and procurement, marketing and business development which are the main branches of the company to operate and attract other international partners and I blamed him also for turning an institution to be free-pub.
In other advised to Mr. Kuel, I him urged to organize the company to reach to the standards of the other national oil companies by scheduling staffs capacity building programs, to partner with other international oil companies and to sign memorandum of understanding in basis of speedy supply of fuel and gas to the country. I also advised him to stop the games of luck of U.S Dollars and to plan as a businessman and a managing director of a Multi-million business company since he has money and decision making in his hands but all failed into daft ears of my brother till he was sacked and replaced by Eng. Machar Achiek and a former director in the ministry of petroleum.
The appointment of Eng. Machar Achiek was received with a lot jubilation countrywide and especially the staffs of the Nile-Pet and the entire petroleum ministry with the intention to end the embarrassing routine scarcity of fuel over years in the country and to establish new strategies of giving out employment opportunities to the potential candidates. In a different pattern, it was to improve services, to support planned growths, to reduce massive corruption, to end sales of fuel in deports and to maintain public’s trust.
All the vehicle and generator users where pleased by the news of uncle Machar appointment to the general management of Nile petroleum, the intention of the jubilant citizens was to end the unfortunate sale of fuel in the black market especially the sale of patrol in bottles along juba mains roads, which was famously known as “Cleto” during his regime, 1.5 bottle of water turned as take away material of patrol by the vendors of the juba black market.
Despite the damage caused to business institutions, the public perception towards Nile-Pet is appalling especially how they have hijacked the oil business and sack foreigners who were very much committed to serve people of south Sudan with common interest of achieving sustainability in oil business. You will not continue to deceive the people of south Sudan with your unproductive initiatives, is either you recall those foreigners to come back and help you or you just accept the failure.
I don’t know what those who were praising Uncle Machar appointment tell the general public, since their superior performances are worsening more than his predecessor. It’s unethical to judge the book according to its cover; you must read the contents, read into the insights of the book before you brag about it and clarity of the writer’s mind.
The possibilities of that institution falling into same scenarios of the ministry of finance and central Bank respectively, are very high under uncle Machar otherwise the government has to do something urgent and tangible in order to save lives of the people although everything is pressing in this circumstance. Fuel must be there in order for water-tanker to move and supply water to the city population, Generators for the hotels and self-consumption, and employees who might need power in their computers to complete the office unfinished work.
While Uncle Machar with his failed company are enjoying luxuries life with their families and the general public suffering had gone beyond description, no drinking, no cooking and toilets are dirty to the extents of no one had used them for the last five days to weeks, in other areas, people just walk to bush in order to easy themselves.
If by chance you attempted to line up for a fuel in Nile-pet patrol station, you can spent the whole day lining up without fueling your car or motor-bike, not only lucking but you can simply be subjected to unexpected abuses by the pam attenders or officials. You can see signed documents flying from the head office instructing the station manage to fuel big-man car while the innocent person who line up since 3am will go back home without a fuel. Is this how Nile-pet will continue handling fuel business in the country?
In conclusion, Uncle Achiek needs private consultations to improve his experiences and gain momentum to move forward with a united vision for final reforms in Nile-Pet. Otherwise that institution will be known for failing creditable officials. If the institution continues in that manner, the company would be a corruption agency not any longer a national petroleum company. Nile-pite needs new strategies in departments like downstream and business development, in order to rediscover its roots in fuel business or endanger its life span. Uncle Machardit Achiek still has one more chance to improve his performances in order to win back the trust bestowed by the jubilant public during his appointment time otherwise he is likely to follow same scenario of his predecessor.
God bless residents of Juba and the entire people from of south Sudan.
The author of this article is a south Sudan national, live in juba south Sudan, student in Kampala University and a business minded person, who had worked with a local oil company for three years. He can be reached on thonatemayiei@mail.com or +211922888553.
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