Fuel Scarcity: NNPC Engages DSS, EFCC to Curtail Hoarding

Apologises to Nigerians for inefficient supply IPMAN seeks speedy passage of supplementary budget

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday disclosed that it had engaged the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and the Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a renewed effort to curtail hoarding and diversion of petroleum products by some unscrupulous marketers in the country.

Similarly, the corporation asked Nigerians to forgive its inability to ensure that petrol is available for purchase across filling stations in the country, saying that it was working hard to bring the situation to normalcy.

A statement from the Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, in Abuja stated that the corporation’s engagement of DSS and EFCC was equally meant to assist in the monitoring of nationwide fuel truck-out to retail outlets.

The statement explained that the Group Executive Director Commercial and Investment of the NNPC, Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, had during a working visit to its depot in Suleja and some filling stations in Abuja to evaluate the current fuel supply situation, said any marketer found guilty of hoarding or diverting petroleum products including the NNPC retail outlet dealers, would be sanctioned appropriately.

Adeniran noted that the corporation would not spare anyone as it works round the clock to supply sufficient petroleum products to marketers across the country.

He said: “We must all make sure that petroleum products get across to Nigerians at the regulated price especially as the yuletide season approaches. We have enough products and we want to plead with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) not to be involved in the diversion of petroleum products in order to avoid causing untold hardship for motorists.”

Also, the Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, provided insight on the role that the security agencies would play in curbing product diversion, saying, “We have invited the EFCC and DSS to join us in this campaign of monitoring the movement of petroleum products and they have our mandate to sanction any errant marketer. Enough is enough.”

Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has called on the National Assembly to ensure speedy passage of the supplementary budget submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari for the payment of N413 billion subsidy claims to the marketers.

The Assistant National Secretary of the association, Mr. Ahmed Fashola, told journalists in Lagos yesterday that more than 90 per cent of the supplementary was meant to pay subsidy claims to oil marketers.

Fashola, who spoke on the ongoing fuel scarcity across the country, also warned IPMAN members against hoarding petrol or selling above the official pump price.

“I am appealing to the National Assembly to urgently pass the supplementary budget into law to arrest the going incessant fuel scarcity in the country. Government should also do the needful speedily to ensure payment of the marketer’s subsidy claims. At the IPMAN level, we are also appealing to our members to try their best to assist government in resolving the persistent scarcity,’’ he said.

To reduce the long queues in filling stations, Fashola stated that all independent marketers would begin 24-hour operations in their stations, adding that surveillance and monitoring teams had been inaugurated to check erring marketers.