UNENDING PROBLEM OF FUEL QUEUES
Petrol shortages are hurting and worrying
Since last week, the federal capital territory has been hit by an acute shortage of Petrol. The problem has spread to QR IHZHU WKDQ ÀYH VWDWHV ZLWKRXW DQ\ explanation from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. “It LV REYLRXV WKDW WKHUH LV VXSSO\ VKRUWDJH LQ $EXMD and other states that are close to the FCT,” said the ,QGHSHQGHQW 3HWUROHXP 0DUNHWHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ RI 1LJHULD ,30$1 QDWLRQDO VHFUHWDU\ -RKQ .HNHRFKD ´7KLV LV WKH UHDVRQ ZK\ PDQ\ ÀOOLQJ stations in these areas are not selling PMS, which, of course, has led to the serious queues you see in the few ones that are dispensing the product.”
:KDWHYHU PD\ EH WKH excuse this time, the IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQW must note that QXPHURXV SURGXFWLYH hours are being lost at fuel stations by motorists while the VDYLQJV RI FRPPXWHUV are getting depleted with the hike in transport costs. Despite claims to D UHPRYDO RI VXEVLG\ LQ WKH GRZQVWUHDP VHFWRU RI the petroleum industry and the fact that the pump price has almost quadrupled since President Bola 7LQXEX DVVXPHG RFH ODVW 0D\ ORQJ TXHXHV RI YHKLFOHV DW IXHO VWDWLRQV KDYH EHFRPH D FRPPRQ IHDWXUH LQ $EXMD :KDW LV EHFRPLQJ FOHDU LV WKDW no remarkable progress has been made in the management of our downstream petroleum VHFWRU YLV j YLV DUUHVWLQJ F\FOLFDO SHWURO VFDUFLW\ HYHQ ZKHQ 1LJHULDQV DUH SD\LQJ IDU PRUH WKDQ they did in the past.
It is indeed unfortunate that in the past six decades, oil has continued to fuel the hope as well as despair of Nigerians. That perhaps explains why few people can understand how the sixth ODUJHVW SURGXFHU RI RLO LQ WKH ZRUOG FDQQRW ÀQG WKH SURGXFW IRU LWV GRPHVWLF XVH $V 1LJHULDQV JURDQ
GDLO\ DW ÀOOLQJ VWDWLRQV WKH VWDUN LURQ\ RI WKLV predicament is one they cannot hardly fathom. It is as confusing as it is frustrating. The question that remains unanswered is whether Nigerians ZRXOG HYHU VHH DQ HQG WR WKH SHUHQQLDO VFDUFLW\ WKDW KDV FRPH WR GHÀQH WKH PDQDJHPHQW RI WKH downstream sector of the petroleum industry. This should worry the current administration, especially since there seems to be no coherent policy in place to deal with the issue in a holistic and lasting manner.
$V ZH VWDWHG UHFHQWO\ QR VHFWRU H[HPSOLÀHV regulatory failure in Nigeria more than the oil DQG JDV LQGXVWU\ $VLGH IURP KDYLQJ WR FRQWHQG with wasting billions of Naira on importing toxic fuel that often GDPDJH VHYHUDO YHKLFOHV consumers are unfairly made to bear the brunt RI SURGXFW VFDUFLW\ $ resurgence of fuel queues LQ PDMRU FLWLHV DFURVV WKH country has exposed the mess in the sector and there is a need to demand accountability.
We cannot emphasise enough the fact that an oil SURGXFLQJ FRXQWU\ VKRXOG KDYH QR EXVLQHVV ZLWK VKRUWDJHV RI UHÀQHG SHWUROHXP SURGXFWV 7R KDYH WKLV FRQVLVWHQWO\ RQ LV WR FRQFOXGH WKDW ZH KDYH poorly equipped managers running our national life and their decisions are hurting all of us.
From daily hikes in costs of staple foods, transportation, school fees, house rent, and other routine expenses, Nigerians are groaning under harsh economic conditions arising from recent reform measures. To now add fuel scarcity to their problems is indefensible. The fact that VXEVLGLHV DUH VWLOO EHLQJ SDLG IXHO FRVWV KDYH JRQH up astronomically and the commodity is now DOVR QR ORQJHU UHDGLO\ DYDLODEOH UDLVHV SHUWLQHQW questions that demand urgent answers from the Tinubu administration.