The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) have issued a notice to withdraw its tankers from the roads forthwith.
NARTO’s members are the main distributors of petroleum products across the country via their trucks.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has ordered oil marketers to negotiate with NARTO in order to avoid the planned suspension of operations by NARTO which is planned tocommence today.
Though the oil marketers, relevant government agencies and NARTO have held series of meetings last week, they are yet to come to an agreement.
NARTO members have repeatedly raised concern over the high cost of diesel required to power their trucks for the transportation of petroleum products across the country.
NARTO’s President, Yusuf Othman, had in a statement he issued in Abuja on Thursday, said the statement was an official announcement from the association’s headquarters that members of the group would park their trucks from Monday.
“Why? It is because what we spend on operations is more than what we get in total, both in local and bridging,” he stated.
“We are discussing with the marketers and they have proposed some increase in the transportation arrangement, and right now we are discussing with our executives with a view to consider the matter.
“But you know this has nothing to do with the government because the government no longer has a hand in the payment of transportation for products. It is purely for marketers that we provide the services to,” he stated.
