Reps orders NNPC, others one week to end fuel scarcity

The House of Representatives has ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and other regulatory agencies to end the lingering fuel scarcity in one week to ease the suffering of Nigerians.

The order followed the adoption of motion of urgent public importance by Sa’idu Musa Abdullahi (APC, Niger) at plenary on Tuesday.

Presenting the motion, he said in the last few months, Nigerians had been subjected to untold hardships caused by the lingering petrol scarcity, affecting economic activities and making the already trying times in the country more difficult.

He said the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) advanced several excuses to justify the fuel scarcity.

The lawmaker stated, “Firstly, when the scarcity reared its ugly head at the peak of the rainy season in October this year, NMDPRA said the fuel scarcity in Abuja and other northern states was caused by rainfall which submerged the greater part of Lokoja including the highway leading to Abuja, a development that grounded all vehicular movements along that route.

“Soon after floods/rains receded in Lokoja and the petrol scarcity continued, the President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said the situation persisted because of the supply gap created by the blockade in Lokoja. The IPMAN affirmed that there was enough product in the depots and that the lingering scarcity was only caused by the break in supply of the product.

“When the scarcity continued and all the excuses advanced by the stakeholders were watered down, the National Operations Controller of IPMAN advanced another reason and argued that the scarcity is because of an unsteady supply of the products.

“Intelligence reports on current fuel scarcity gathered by our security agencies indicated that there is a deliberate plan by some oil marketers to derail the effort of the government in the distribution of fuel in the country by hoarding the petroleum products, thereby creating artificial scarcity all over the country”.

He lamented that while fuel scarcity is heating petroleum stations of some major marketers that are currently selling fuel at government-regulated prices, some independent marketers have enough petroleum products selling at unregulated prices.

He added that most of such filling stations had resulted in selling fuel at over N300 per litre.

He said, “It is observed with dismay that those who are gaining from this artificial fuel scarcity appear to be smiling home as a result of this ugly development and this has the potency to provoke innocent Nigerians against the government.

“The inability of the regulators of the petroleum sector to end this artificial scarcity of petroleum products forced the Department of State Security Services to issue an ultimatum to the NNPC, and oil marketers to end the artificial scarcity within 48 hours”.

The House, therefore, called on NNPC Ltd to end the artificial scarcity within the next week in order to ease the suffering of Nigerians.

It further called on the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to collaborate with the Nigerian Police Force and DSSS to ensure that fuel is sold at the regulated price and in all retail outlets.

The House mandates its Committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.

NNPC slashes price for marketers to ease scarcity

Meanwhile, The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Limited yesterday, adopted new measures aimed at guaranteeing adequate fuel supply across the country, by fixing N148 per litre as the price for lifting petrol at depots.

It also agreed to supply outstanding stock to independent oil marketers, to end product shortage

This came as the independent marketers said they had been lifting the product from private depots at about N200 per litre, which made it impossible for them to meet the Department of State Services, DSS, 48-hour directive last week.

They said that the situation also led to their inability to sell petrol at N170 per liter like their major marketers’ counterparts and NNPC Ltd.

Vanguard, gathered yesterday, that a meeting was held between NNPC LTD. marketers and all the stakeholders, where the issues were resolved.

Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Mr. Mike Osatuyi, who confirmed the development, said: “Our members have now been allowed to lift petrol at N148 per litre, meaning that we can now reduce our pump prices. We are committed to working with other parties to tackle the shortage across the country as quickly as possible.”