The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday rose from its weekly meeting with a directive to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Ministry to end fuel scarcity by tomorrow.
Information, Culture & Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, told reporters after the FEC meeting, that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, assured them there was no cause for alarm.
Kachikwu could not attend the post-FEC conference because of an urgent appointment, Mohammed explained.
According to him, Kachikwu told the FEC that there was enough fuel to last till January and that the Federal Government had no plan to increase fuel pump price.
Mohammed said: “The Minister of Petroleum was supposed to join us but he has to attend a very important meeting so that this crisis would be resolved.
“The minister assured the council that we have enough products till the next one month even till the end of January.
“Thirdly, this is winter period. There is always more demand for refined products during winter period in some countries; this is what we are experiencing now.
“Also, it has been the NNPC that has been importing but he has assured the FEC. The council gave him a matching order that this fuel scarcity should not last beyond this weekend and they are going to work very hard to ensure that it is curtailed. He assured council that there is actually no cause for alarm.”
On the possibility of pump price increase, the minister said: “No. The government has no intention at all to increase the pump price of PMS.”