Fuel scarcity worsens as marketers shun imports
he fuel queues that surfaced in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) few weeks ago have worsened as many fuel stations are no longer dispensing the product,
findings show.
Daily Trust
It was gathered that the situation has worsened since Monday because of the industrial action embarked by tankers driver under the aegis of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD).
The PTD have refused to lift petroleum products from depots in protest of the huge amounts they are being owed by the major marketers.
Industry sources familiar with the matter warned that the situation may further escalate if nothing is done about the drivers’ predicament as well as the threats by oil marketers to halt importation over non-payment of subsidy claims.
Our reporters learnt that the shortage of supply in the neighbouring states also put pressure on filling stations in Abuja.
Mrs. Josephine Aku said she had to buy 20 litres of petrol for N5, 000 at the black market since she could not wait in the queue because she needed to be in the office early.
Some people who spoke to our reporters said they had been on the queue for hours and did not know when it would get to their turn adding that they learnt some fuel stations were selling at N125 per litre.
Iyambe Emma said the scarcity had been a terrible experience in the country. “For some weeks, the situation has been worrisome, and the bad side of it is that the government seems as if they do not know what is happening in the country.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it had enough stock of petrol to service the country for 27 days at a national consumption rate of 40 million litres per day even as it had stepped up efforts to end the distribution challenges in the fuel supply system.
An Independent oil marketer told Daily Trust that the current fuel scarcity being experienced is partly because of the N350 billion subsidy payment owed by marketers and the uncertainty about the regime that will come into force with the incoming government.
The source says that the marketers fear that if the incoming government does what the Obasanjo government did in 1999 by setting up the Christopher Kolade committee which took one year to finish work, there could be even more queues for a long period.
On the other hand if the government goes ahead to abolish subsidy payment which has also not been provided in the 2015 budget, the situation will stabilize within a short time.
Daily Trust also learnt that just yesterday, the outgoing government paid N56 billion to the marketers to defry their outstanding interest payment that has been in contention between them and the authorities.
Besides, long queues continue to pile up at major petrol stations in Kaduna State as the fuel scarcity bites harder.
The pump price of petrol on the black market had increased to N125 from the official N87 per litre. Most of the petrol stations in Kaduna metropolis have not received supplies for a long period of time.
But, in a statement NNPC spokesman, Ohi Alegbe said that it had sufficient stock of petrol at its coastal depots in Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar besides the stock in the national strategic reserves.
It explained that the distribution hitch was due to the strike by the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) who have refused to lift petroleum products from the coastal depots in protest of the huge amounts they are being owed by the major marketers.
“We are, however, working towards a speedy resolution of the issues to ensure a hitch-free distribution of products across the country,” the statement stated.