Port Harcourt Epistles: Is that diesel in the tank?
By Chris Duncan
Diesel, the life blood of the hotel, without it the generators would not function and with that no electricity during the lengthy City Power outages. South Africa's load shedding is hardly an interruption by comparison.
The two gen sets, one generating, the other a backup roaring on for most of the day, everything here requires a backup. When they power down the silence is almost deafening and you can almost hear yourself think. No green thinking here and forget about carbon foot printing because it is unlikely to ever happen.
But the noise and tree hugging is not was this story is about; it is about the supply and receiving of diesel and the skulduggery that accompanies it.
The happenings of the past week have opened my eyes somewhat.
Daily during the morning meeting engineering reports the level of diesel in our underground tank whose manhole cover is securely padlocked. When the level is low and a deliverable quantity is required an order is placed and an advance payment made. This quantity could be between 20000 to 30000 litres at a time.
The tanker arrives, the driver an independent contractor of the oil company with the ordered consignment.
The driver would arrive after business hours and hope that the diesel would be offloaded with no checkers around and then disappear with half the invoiced amount and sell it elsewhere. I have read in the files here that there was a queue of people with 25l drums waiting down the road for a supply of cheap fuel a few years back. This delivery time was banned some time ago so a day time delivery it is.
On arrival engineering, purchasing, security and MOPOL are gathered to witness the offloading. Firstly our tank level is checked and recorded, then a density sample taken. The truck meter is then checked, samples taken from various levels in the tanker and if compliant the transfer begins.
I have learnt that it is not uncommon for a driver to sell of a part of the consignment en route for cash, stop at a water tower and replace the shortage with water or collect dirty diesel to do the same.
Hence the rigorous testing. One can only imagine the damage that could be done to the generators and explains why they are serviced monthly and their multitude of filters changed.
This delivery was 20000l. Transfer complete and our tank level rechecked – 1100l short and the driver could not explain. Must have leaked out on the way here he explained with no other excuse offered.
So without further ado the driver was relieved of the truck key and told to come up with the cash value of the shortage. He was further warned that if he did not do so by the end of the day the police will be summonsed, his truck impounded and the oil company notified.
But with this action so comes further complications. The drivers are all members of a powerful union, if their member is arrested then future deliveries might not be forthcoming so a stalemate looks likely.
Three days later and the tanker is still parked outside. Advice from the police was to give the driver a chance to come up with the cash failing which they would impound the vehicle.
Finally the driver returned, looking somewhat sheepish as he handed over a large wad of cash.
Never a dull moment here as any chance to make a quick buck will be quickly seized. Every system in the in the hotel is tested for integrity with a regime of separation of duties. It is quite understandable considering all the temptation around.
hotel is tested for integrity with a regime of separation of duties. It is quite understandable considering all the temptation around.