Mr. Huub Stokman, Chief Executive Officer, OVH Energy Limited
-Olufunke Afolami
OVH Energy is a leading indigenous marketer of petroleum products services in Nigeria, it provides solution for wide range of energy needs in the downstream sub-sector. Speaking at the International Energy Health and Safety Event (IEHSE), being one of the sponsors, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Huub Stokman, said the company is committed to Health Security Safety Environment, Quality and Social Responsibility (HSSEQSR) and it does that in all its activities including training of staff.
OVH has done some infrastructural investment by introducing technology and IT to ensure that day to day activities of the company is done in a safe manner. “We are committed to providing our customers the best practice services and doing that with highest operational safety standards, Stokman added.”
He commended the Federal Government effort to deregulate Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria’s downstream and the country’s gas expansion programme.
The OVH CEO said, the company supports the government initiatives wholeheartedly revealing that it has several sites where it could sell its gas.
Giving his presentation at the Summit on the topic; ‘The Imperative of Dynamic Leadership in Driving Well Define HSSEQSR Collaboration Across Nigeria Downstream Sector’ Stokman made it known that in terms of HSE objectives, OVH has zero truck accident. It has been collaborating with the host communities and stakeholders which is significant in its operations. “We have seen tankers catching fire. It has been a concern to operators to prevent such accidents that have damaged the environment in some extreme cases, it will even lead to loss of lives.”
It is imperative for a company to keep safe. Basically, “the key strategy is managing yourself, managing the team and managing network, be it customer supply or stakeholders. But the way I always explain to all my team that safety is a matter of the mind.
“I always tell my team that it is good for everyone to go home healthy each day. The way I will explain it to all my team that HSE is not just the matter of the mind, it is about getting the heart. The way I always explain it to myself is that each person has to say to him or herself, go back home safely and healthy each day, the same goes to their friends, colleagues, customers, suppliers and all other stakeholders that they all can go home safely each day. It is not just about yourself but everyone around you. We should all tell ourselves that everybody can go home safely and healthy each day.”
Stokman was of the view that collaboration with all the stakeholders in the industry is paramount for safety. He said pressures are always mounting and there are too many accidents across the value chain in the Nigerian downstream industry, especially in the pipelines, there are safety issues. It is a necessity to work together. The industry will be better if it collaborates with each other to checkmate its activities in case if there is a default or non-compliance.
Stokman believes there should be public recognition for best practice to industry leaders to support collaboration and conformity. “Collaboration is one step at a time. It is not going to be changed overnight rather it is a long process, some of these things we have been doing for years.”
For wider relationship, OVH has been collaborating with Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), the company does tanker/truck drivers’ refresher training safety programme combine with medical examinations. The company has trained over 900 drivers with caution on driving.
Since 2009, OVH has put on board computers on all its downstream network to minimize driving times, speeding with the effort to make the road safe. It is working with its transport companies in order to maintain safer roads
Recently, it signed an entrepreneur scheme with Nigerian transport companies’ association, the FRSC drivers’ unit to look at the quality and ageing of tankers that are driving across the Nigerian roads. Stokman said, “it is not just about the drivers but also the equipment they use.”
He revealed that the Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) built over ten tank farms with checks on best practices on each member. There is thorough check on safety while non-conforming members are excluded. OVH has taken away 400 tankers in the last two years out its fleet, these tankers are no longer loading PMS because the company felt it is not safe using them.
The company established collaboration with FRSC to ensure that every tanker that is loaded is safe and the content can be used daily. Some industry experts are part of the support team to ensure safety culture is imbibed through collaboration with government keeping best practices in place. The support has to be sustained even though there are challenges.
According to Stokman, “let us continue to build bridges and make Nigeria energy safe.”
On dynamic leadership element of collaboration, the OVH boss said, this is attributed to personal efforts to achieve group objectives and stimulating change for progress. Dynamic leadership and HSSEQSR, sustainable change for better performance is only achieved when there are clear personal commitments to report any incidence that impact lives in the environment.
Dynamic leadership is by bringing people together for better and safer Nigeria for Nigerians.
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