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Tag: Fuel scarcity

  • Fuel scarcity bites hard, Lagos residents groan

    Fuel scarcity bites hard, Lagos residents groan

    Queues dotted petrol stations in many parts of Lagos on Monday as motorists battled to fuel their vehicles amidst scarcity of the product.

    Commuters heading to various destinations were caught in the web, with fewer buses on the roads and some hiking fares.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent observed some students and  their parents  trekking early in the day after being unable to get buses on time.

    A businessman, Mr Kingsley Udeh, told NAN that he had to resort to trekking a long distance to get to his shop.

    “It is really frustrating this morning. As I got to my bus stop, I was surprised at the number of people I saw.

    “It was also obvious that there were no buses because of the number of people I saw waiting.

    “I waited for some time but resorted to trekking when I saw others moving forward. This fuel situation should be addressed, as the hardship is much,” he said.

    A trader, Mrs Shade Agboola, said that leaving her house in the morning to take her children to school and make her way to Lagos Island was hectic.

    “When I got to Gate this morning, the crowd I saw was alarming. After taking my children to school, I had to trek to Pako to board a bus going to Cele.

    “The usual N200 fare we board from Pako to Cele now turned to N300.

    “Also, I paid additional N100 to the N200 I normally pay to go to Aguda en route Lagos Island.

    “Government should really help with this fuel situation,” she said

    Mrs Maureen Uzochukwu, on her part, urged government to address the fuel situation in the country to reduce the pains and suffering of citizens.

    According to Uzochukwu, people are paying too much in the country.

    “There is food inflation, everything is high and people are becoming sick due to the situation in the country,” she said.

    Mr Francis Obiechina, a resident, told NAN that he paid N800 to transport himself from Oshodi to Costain just to get to work.

    “Ordinarily, I used to pay N600, now I paid additional N200. This means no lunch for me because I have spent more than my budget for today.

    “Not only about the money paid, I had to also had to trek within my axis in Oshodi to cut cost, this in not healthy for us at all, ” he said.

    The fuel queues have persisted despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) assurance that the logistics problem that caused the problem had been resolved.

    Read Also: Fuel scarcity planned to set Nigerians against Tinubu, says group

    Recall that Mr Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, said on Thursday that the tightness in the supply of Premium Motor Spirit being experienced in some areas across the country was as a result of logistics issues.

    He said that the problem had been resolved.

    Soneye reiterated that the prices of petroleum products was not changing. urging Nigerians to avoid panic buying.

    He said that there was a sufficiency of products in the country.

    NAN reports that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), had, however, said that the petrol situation could take at least two weeks to normalise.

    (NAN)

  • Fuel scarcity bites harder in Ondo

    Fuel scarcity bites harder in Ondo

    Price of premium motor spirit otherwise known as fuel has risen to between N685 and N730 per litre in Ondo state.

    It was observed that many petrol stations in Akure, the state capital, did not have products.

    At Oba Ile area, petrol stations sold fuel was sold at N730 per litre

    The chairman of IPMAN, Ore depot, Shina Amoo, said the recent scarcity was due to non-availability of fuel at many depots.

    Read Also: Fuel scarcity bites harder in Abuja, Ondo, Osun, others

    Amoo accused the NNPCL of not selling fuel to IPMAN members.

    He said many IPMAN members also lacked the financial capacity to buy fuel from .

    “The cause of the scarcity is what I have said earlier. The product is not available. We also do not have money to struggle with major marketers.”

  • Fuel scarcity: Isolo, Ejigbo filling stations deserted

    Fuel scarcity: Isolo, Ejigbo filling stations deserted

    The ongoing fuel shortage crisis is affecting filling stations in the Isolo and Ejigbo areas of Lagos State. 

    Upon moving from Isolo to Ile-epo Ejigbo, The Nation observed that only TotalEnergies at the NNPC bus stop in Ejigbo was partially operational, with limited fuel dispensing and intermittent gate openings to allow a few vehicles to purchase petrol.

    Others, including TotalEnergies, Oke-afa, AOG Oke-afa, MRS, Jakande Gate, NNPC, Jakande Gate as well as NNPC, NNPC bus stop, Ejigbo and Petrocam Ile-epo, Ejigbo were completely abandoned, with some of their gates locked.

    Read Also: Fuel scarcity: Many petrol stations in Osun hoarding fuel, says Adeleke

    Meanwhile, as our correspondent arrived TechnOil at Isolo bus stop, they were about receiving their products.

    According to one of the attendants on ground, “we didn’t sell fuel since morning because we didn’t have product but we will by tomorrow as our shipment just arrived.”

  • Fuel scarcity bites harder in Abuja, Ondo, Osun, others

    Fuel scarcity bites harder in Abuja, Ondo, Osun, others

    • Independent marketers sell PMS between N625 and N799 per litre

    There is no succour yet for motorists and other petrol end users despite the Thursday statement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that it had resolved the logistic problems that sparked the supply crisis.

    Reports from across the country yesterday showed that many filling stations had no fuel to sell.

    Some sold over and above the threshold of N650 per litre while motorists and other buyers besieged the few ones that sold within the range of N600 per litre.

    While many petrol stations in Lagos sold fuel at the normal price and queues were not noticeable, it was a different story in the industrial town of Ota, Ogun State where some filling stations hiked their pump price to N799 per litre.

    In Abuja, over 80% of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) retail outlets shut down their operations yesterday, creating an opportunity for a massive black market around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Although the price remained unchanged at N617 per litre at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) filling stations while major marketers sold it for between N680 and N690 per litre, some independent marketers vended the product for as high as N750 per litre.

    Read Also; Tinubu’s electoral victory through prism of Omatseye’s ‘prosetry’ (2)

    Black marketers sold one litre for as much as N1,200 to desperate motorists.

    Some drivers who ran out of fuel in hot spot were ready to pay N1,300 per litre just to exit the danger zone.

    Meanwhile, there was a sign of hope that the situation would improve at weekend as The Nation could see more retail outlets getting opened to customers at 5:45pm.

    Many civil servants who had a tough time returning home from work on Thursday did not bother to turn up at their workplace yesterday.

    Epileptic fuel supply in Ondo

    The epileptic supply of fuel was no better in Ondo State yesterday with many filling stations also shut down.

    The price ranged between N600 and N670 in the few filling stations that opened for business.

    Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Ore depot, Shina Amoo, said NNPCL was not selling to IPMAN members.

    Amoo said IPMAN members had to resort to buying from third parties at high prices.

    He said fuel marketers are shutting down operations in the state due to low or non-profit margin.

    Long queues   in Enugu

    The crisis was characterised by long queues at filling stations in Enugu while the price hovered between N600 and N725 per litre.

    It was N660 in some Total, Enyo, Masters Energy, Rainoil and Northwest filling stations and N660 per liter in NNPC filling stations.

    Osun residents, motorists groan as petrol stations hoard fuel

    Residents and motorists in Osun State accuse petrol dealers in the state of hoarding and profiteering.

    The Nation observed long queues at major marketers petrol stations with price ranging between N625 and N640 per litre.

    Independent marketers sold theirs for between N700 and N750.

    Human rights activist Comrade Waheed Saka asked the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the State government to check the situation.

    A motorist, Saheed Salako, claimed that many of the petrol stations had fuel but refused to sell.

     Crisis worsens in Plateau as a litre goes for N800

    Many car owners in Jos, the Plateau State capital have been forced by the hike in fuel price to park their vehicles at home.

    A litre sold for between N760 and N800 at some filling stations yesterday.

    The NNPCL had attributed the tightness in the supply of PMS currently being experienced in some areas across the country to logistics issues but said the issues “have been resolved.”

    It urged Nigerians to “avoid panic buying as there is sufficient product in the country.”

  • Fuel scarcity hits Rivers

    Fuel scarcity hits Rivers

    Scarcity of petroleum products especially fuel has rattled residents of Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

    Investigations showed that most petrol stations were shut while those that dispensed the product had long queues of vehicles and gallons hustling to purchase fuel.

    A driver, Okai, complained that a petrol station he queued to buy the product altered their prices intermittently.

    “After I drove round the city to buy the product, I eventually queued at a filling station. Initially they were selling at N770 per litre. But before it got to my turn, the stopped selling. 

    “The petroleum attendant was receiving a phone call and when she was done, they increased the price to N840 per litre. It happened in my presence,” he said.

    Okai said if nothing was done immediately, he would no longer be able to engage in a taxi business he depended on to feed his family.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Another fuel scarcity looms in Imo, Abia, others

    In the evening of Tuesday, a few petrol stations that had the fuel sold it between N900 per litre to N930.

    Many streets and roads in Port Harcourt were littered with black market dealers, who sold to consumers through gallons.

    The dealers made brisk businesses and profits out it as they sold theirs between N1000 to N1100 per litre.

    Residents were seen grumbling and lamenting that without regular supply of electricity and the current scarcity of fuel, the ongoing economic hardship had worsened.

    It was gathered that the development had led to immediate increase in transport cost within the city.

  • JUST IN: Fuel scarcity looms in Lagos

    JUST IN: Fuel scarcity looms in Lagos

    Motorists formed long queues outside the forecourts of filling stations in Lagos state on Tuesday, February 20, due to a reported fuel shortage attributed to the directive from the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) for petroleum tankers to cease their services.

    A survey carried out by The Nation correspondent showed that only a few filling stations opened for business at Apapa inward Oshodi, Agege to Oshodi, Mushin to Idioro, Oshodi inward Berger, etc, while others had no activities.

    Motorists also endured an unusually heavy gridlock due to a long queue of motorists waiting to buy petrol at filling stations at Akowonjo, Alimoso, Ikeja, Ilupeju axis, and Ikorodu.

    Only M.O.J filling station at Bolade, Oshodi was attending to motorists at the time of filing this report.

    Residents of Agege decided to take their destiny into their own hands as motorist hiked their fares from N300, N400 to N600-N700, forcing many to resort to walking down to Oshodi.

    NARTO in a letter dated February 15, 2024, notified the Federal Government and Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria of its plan to suspend operations citing unsustainable high costs given the current state of the nation’s economy.

    Members will park their trucks starting on Monday, February 19, the NARTO President, Yusuf Othman, said, arguing that the costs incurred by members for their activities exceeded their returns.

    He said all attempts by the body to enlist the intervention of all significant stakeholders in the federal government had not been successful.

    A commercial transport driver plying Oshodi to Agege, who pleaded anonymity, said he was forced to hike his fees after waiting for hours to buy fuel.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Another fuel scarcity looms in Imo, Abia, others

    “I had to queue to get the fuel I’m using. A lot of fuel stations are closed. Anybody who doesn’t want to enter should stay away. You can expect me to sleep at the filling station and expect me to carry you for N300.”

    The nation observed that the NNPC petrol station at Akowonjo, Alimoso, Lagos sold PMS for N580 per litre while Mobile along Mushin-Oshodi road at N599.

    Technoil at Isolo bus stop was utterly deserted, void of activities. On probing about the state of things, our Correspondent was told that they had no product because there was no tanker to convey it down to the filing station as a result of the strike.

    According to an attendant who chose anonymity, “Before the strike, we sold petrol for N610. But I can’t say how much it will be when the new product eventually arrives.”

    A tricycle driver, Mr Kunle Ade confirmed that he was able to get petrol at MRS filling station, Okeafa for N690 per litre.

  • JUST IN: Another fuel scarcity looms in Imo, Abia, others

    JUST IN: Another fuel scarcity looms in Imo, Abia, others

    Southeast region and some of the South-South and Middle Belt states may face imminent fuel scarcity following the threat by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to withdraw their service.

    The group gave the notice on Sunday, November 19, in a statement signed by Prince Bobby Eberechi Dick, the zonal chairman and Emmanuel Inimgba, the zonal secretary and made availabke to newsmen.

    The association decried non-payment of their bridging claims despite making the same payment to their colleagues in the Northern zone.

    The statement reads in part: “We the entire members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Eastern Zone comprising of marketers in the mentioned states- Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Kogi and Nasarawa resolved on the following after a meeting of the zone held in our Zonal office at Owerri on the 16th of November 2023.

    “That the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Downstream/Midstream Petroleum Regulatory should as a matter of urgency pay us our bridging claims having done so to our colleagues in the North-West and North-East Zones since the subsidy removal regime on the 29th of May 2023 without any kobo owed them.

    Read Also: UPDATED: NNPCL dispels fuel scarcity rumour, says there is nothing like fuel subsidy

    “This resolution is further necessitated by the fact that despite correspondences sent to the Chief Executive Officer on this issue, he has refused to release funds or respond to the letters.

    “In view of this as stated above,we are appealing to the Honourable Minister of state forpetroleum for his immediate intervention to not only save our business but save our members from losing their properties used as collaterals from banks where these monies are tied down with defunct Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF).

    “We state equivocally that since we cannot fold our hands and see our hard earned properties taken away by the banks, if the monies are not released to us as done to the other zones by the end of November 2023, we will have no other option than to withdraw our services from the general public.”

  • Long fuel queues amid IMF’s call for subsidy removal

    Long queues have resurfaced at filling stations raising fears of fuel scarcity. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has since allayed such fears. Although there was improvement in supply yesterday, many outlets remain shut in anticipation of shortage. Assistant Editor EMEKA UGWUANYI examines the cause of this development.

    It all started with the speculation that there was shortage of fuel imports. Eventually, three days ago, many retail outlets were shut. The few that were selling had very long queues as motorists waited patiently to fill their vehicles tanks and buy some in kegs to keep as reserves and for domestic use, in expectation, the fuel scarcity will escalate.  Many of the filling stations that claimed not to have the product, it was later discovered, were only hoarding to sell at a higher price or to those that hawk fuel in gallons by the roadside, should the scarcity worsens. However, the stakeholders in the downstream especially the fuel marketing firms under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) were able to bring the situation under control.

    Cause of the current scarcity

    The NNPC has been the sole importer of premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol in the past few years as players in the downstream couldn’t import and sell at the regulated price pump price of N145 per litre. The NNPC as a state-owned organisation pays the shortfall that arises from subsidizing the product from the Federal Government coffers under the term “under-recovery cost.” Under-recovery, according to the NNPC, is the amount of subsidy the Corporation gains on behalf of the government for the importation and supply of petroleum products at a landing cost above the official retail pump price of N145 per litre of petrol. To industry analysts, there is no difference between under-recovery and subsidy. But because the Federal Government had said it has stopped payment of fuel subsidy but refused to deregulate the price of petrol, the NNPC adopted the under-recovery approach to be able to access public fund, which the private sector oil marketers cannot. Therefore, whenever there is a slight delay in NNPC’s fuel imports, it reverberates and the impact is fuel scarcity and that is what happened in this scenario.

    Read also: Disregard rumour of fuel scarcity, NNPC tells Nigerians

    As Nigeria is almost 100 per cent dependent on imported petrol for national consumption, issues arising from delays in the arrival of ships carrying fuel to some cargoes being off-specification. In the case of the consignment being off-spec, it is either the industry regulator, turns the vessel back to the place of import or the product would be blended to specification before being pushed out to the public for consumption. These issues occur often but because they are promptly resolved, the consuming public doesn’t get to know or feel it.

    According to the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) Mr Clement Isong, who told The Nation early enough on Friday that the scarcity that existed wouldn’t last beyond the weekend, said their members had enough stock. He said there was no scarcity and advised fuel consumers not to engage in panic-buying as what led to the gap in fuel supply and distribution, which resulted in the queues at fuel stations, was a minor operational problem. The problem, according to him, has been addressed and depots are loading 24 hours and whatever supply gap will be closed within the weekend. Companies that makeup MOMAN include Total Nigeria Plc, Conoil Plc, Oando Plc, 11Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc), MRS Oil Nigeria Plc and Forte Oil Plc.

    Isong said: “All MOMAN members’ tanks have the product (petrol). There is no supply shortage. What caused the queue is a minor operational hitch. Whenever there is such technical issue and it takes up to 12 hours to resolve, it upsets supply and distribution chains and that is what happened in this scenario because it created backlogs of loadings that could have been done much earlier. However, the problem has been resolved. I advise the public not to embark on panic-buying as there is enough fuel. The gap in supply created by the technical problem will be closed within the weekend as our members are loading 24 hours through the weekend.”

    An official of one of the depots owned by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) who didn’t want his identity disclosed said the problem was a slight scarcity. According to him, during the election period, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) didn’t make enough fuel imports. As a result of that shortage in import, there wasn’t enough fuel to go round and the NNPC has ever since been rationing what it has in stock. He said for instance, “If 10 depots supposed to get supply from NNPC and only five depots were able to get at the end of the day, certainly there must be a gap and that is the reason you see queues at the filling stations. We have marketers that have paid for fuel in our depot in the past two to three weeks and they are yet to be loaded because of inadequate fuel but I believe that supply shortfall will be addressed soon. It is not something so serious, I assume it was a costly responsibility oversight on the part of the NNPC.”

    The National President of IPMAN, Chief Chinedu Okoronkwo, also confirmed the fuel scarcity was created by rumours. He said: “There was no need for panicking over fuel scarcity as virtually all the NNPC depots across the federation had fuel and were loading product to marketers. Marketers are currently loading petrol in Makurdi, Kano, Enugu, Aba, Yola, Suleja, Kaduna, Ejigbo, Mosinmi, Ibadan and other depots across the country. The shortfall in distribution was due to the slow pace of product importation and hitches at the jetty, which had been addressed. But the Federal Government is on top of the situation, there is enough petrol to go round. I have also instructed all our members to ensure adequate distribution of the product across the country.

    “I have also directed them to ensure the product is sold at the official price of N145 per litre. If there are any issues on distribution and pricing differentials, members should call the secretariat for further action. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency’s (PPPRA) template has not changed, so no marketer should influence hike or sell above official price.”

    Okoronkwo restated IPMAN’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s efforts on effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country, adding that the Association had reached an agreement with other marketers for better synergy in making the product available in the country. “IPMAN which controls 80 per cent outlets has more advantage in distributing and dispensing in both urban and hinterlands in the country. In line with the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring efficient petroleum products distributed across the country, IPMAN members have opted for seamless distribution of petroleum products,” he said.

    The Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN,) said that NNPC distribution pricing had been a major issue for depot owners, adding that for now, no members had product in his facilities. Adewole said the price at which NNPC gives their members product and other charges make it extremely difficult for them to sell at regulated depot price. “It’s not profitable because we are getting it between N139 and N140 per litre with other additional charges, therefore, at what price do we sell it?

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  • IPMAN, NUPENG assures of products availability

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have urged Nigerians to stop panicking over fuel scarcity as there is sufficient product.

    The duo said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos against the backdrop of the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country.

    The association confirmed that about six vessels of imported petrol ordered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were currently discharging the product, assuring that the corporation has sufficient products.

    Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, the National President of IPMAN, told NAN that there was no need for panicking over fuel scarcity, as virtually all the NNPC depots across the states had commence loading of petroleum product by marketers.

    ‘’Marketers are currently loading petrol in Makurdi, Kano, Enugu, Aba,Yola, Suleja, Kaduna, Ejigbo, Mosinmi, Ibadan and other depots across the country.

    ‘’The shortfall in distribution was due to slow pace of product importation and hitches at the jetty which had been addressed.

    ‘’But the Federal Government is on top of the situation, there is enough of petrol to go round. I have also instructed all our members to ensure adequate distribution of the product across the country.

    “I have also directed them to ensure product is sold at official price of N145 per litre. If there is any issues on distribution and pricing differentials, members should call the secretariat for further action.

    ‘’The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) template has not changed, so, no marketer should influence hike or sell above official price,’’ he said.

    Okoronkwo reaffirmed the commitment of the association toward supporting the Federal Government’s efforts on effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country.

    He stressed further that IPMAN had so far reached an agreement with other marketers for better synergy in making the product available in the country.

    “IPMAN which controls 80 per cent outlets, has more advantage in distributing and dispensing in both urban and hinterlands in the country.

    “In line with the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring efficient petroleum products distribution across the country, IPMAN members have opted for a seamless distribution of petroleum products,’’ he said.

    He noted that such synergy amongst members with the Federal Government, would present a common front that would advance the interest of the group and ensure smooth distribution of the products across the country.

    Mr Tayo Aboyeji, Chairman, Lagos Zone of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), also colloborated the IPMAN’s president, saying “there is enough fuel, Nigerians should avoid panic buying’’.

    Aboyeji said that “there is fuel and it is available, as I am talking to you now, some of the depots have received the products and are already loading.

    “What is happening was panic buying, people think there might be price increase from government or removal of subsidy.

    “But nothing of such, government has assured us that no increase in petrol pricing for now, so, Nigerians and marketers should avoid being panic over fuel scarcity.

    READ ALSO: NUPENG urges Nigerians to stop panic buying of fuel

    “I urge Nigerians and motorists to avoid storing of petrol at home because it’s dangerous for us, fuel is available, I have visited some depots and I can confirmed to you that loading is going on.

    ‘’As at Friday, we have instructed our tanker drivers to engage in 24-hours loading activities and lift products from depots to filling stations across the country.

    “We will ensure 24-hours service delivery of product distribution in the country, we also urge government to checkmate activities of the task force in Lagos and along Ibadan expressway.

    “Our members are being extorted and harassed by members of the task force. Some drivers who were scheduled to load in Lagos were denied asses to Lagos, which also affects effective distribution of products,’’ he said.

    Alhaji Debo Ahmed, the Chairman, Western Zone of IPMAN, however attributed the ongoing queues at some stations was due to shortfall in NNPC distribution network to depots.

    Ahmed said that all depots within the South-West zone were loading at a low pace due to insufficient products.

    “We have lots of pending tickets from marketers awaiting loading at depots but were still stranded.

    Also, Alhaji Ayo Alanamu, the Chairman, IPMAN Ejigbo Satellite depot, attributed the challenges to shortfall of the product from NNPC.

    Alanamu said that marketers, IPMAN and NNPC retails battled with 40-trucks on daily basis which was not sufficient.

    He urged government to expedite action toward importing more products to avoid another round of scarcity that had ended.

    He noted that depot owners were also contributing to the scarcity due to the hike in pricing.

    NAN recalls that on April 12, NNPC said trending social media report of an impending fuel scarcity due to purported refusal by some oil marketers to lift products from depots was false.

  • Fuel queues back at filling stations in Lagos

    Many petrol retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja yesterday closed shops while the few that sold had long queues as motorists waited to fill their vehicles’ tanks and buy some in kegs to keep as reserves in expectation that fuel scarcity could worsen.

    However, oil marketers assured there was no scarcity and advised fuel consumers not to engage in panic-buying as what led to the gap in fuel supply and distribution, which resulted in the queues at fuel stations, was a minor operational problem.

    The problem, according to the marketers, has been addressed and depots are loading 24 hours, and whatever supply gap there is will be closed between today and tomorrow.

    The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Clement Isong, told The Nation that all their members’ depots had fuel.

    He said there was a slight technical hiccup which the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the marketers had already resolved, adding that there would be normal supply, and any envisaged scarcity would be over this weekend.

    Read also: Disregard rumour of fuel scarcity, NNPC tells Nigerians

    Companies that make up MOMAN include Total Nigeria Plc, Conoil Plc, Oando Plc, 11Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc), MRS Oil Nigeria Plc and Forte Oil Plc.

    Isong said: “All the tanks have product. There is no supply shortage. What caused the queue is a minor operational hiccup. Whenever there is such technical issue and it takes up to 12 hours to resolve, it upsets supply and distribution chains, and that is what happened in this scenario because it created backlogs of loadings that could have been done earlier.

    “However, the problem has been resolved. One of the vessels berthed at the port loaded into our tanks yesterday (Thursday), another one will discharge today (Friday) and the third vessel will discharge tomorrow (today).

    “I advise the public not to embark on panic-buying as there is enough fuel. The gap in supply created by the technical problem will be closed within the weekend as our members are loading 24 hours through the weekend.

    However, an official of one of the depots owned by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), who did not want his identity disclosed, said it was slight scarcity.

    According to him, during the election period, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) did not make enough fuel imports. As a result of that shortage in import, there was not enough fuel to go round and the NNPC resorted to rationing what it had in stock.

    “If 10 depots are supposed to get supply from NNPC and only five depots were able to get at the end of the day, certainly, there must be a gap, and that is the reason you see queues at the filling stations.

    “For instance, there are marketers who have paid for fuel in our depot in the past two to three weeks, and they are yet to be loaded because of inadequate fuel. But I believe that supply shortfall will be addressed soon.

    “It is not something so serious. I assume it is a costly oversight on the part of the NNPC.”