The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fuel scarcity

  • FEC orders NNPC to end fuel scarcity before weekend

    FEC orders NNPC to end fuel scarcity before weekend

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Ministry to ensure the current fuel scarcity in some parts of the country do not last beyond weekend.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting in Abuja.

    Stressing that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, could not attend the post- FEC briefing because of an urgent appointment, he said the minister gave FEC assurance that there was no cause for alarm.

    According to him, Kachikwu told FEC that there is enough fuel in the country to last till January 2018.

    He said there is no intention by the government to increase the pump price of fuel.

  • Baru returns home as fuel scarcity persists

    Baru returns home as fuel scarcity persists

    In a bid to resolve the fuel supply and distribution challenges witnessed in some parts of the country, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, on Tuesday cut short his trip to London.

    Baru, who was billed to receive the Forbes Oil and Gas Man of the Year Award for 2017 in the British capital on Tuesday, returned home to address what he described as a “matter of urgent national importance.”

    Speaking on the development shortly before he left London, Baru urged Nigerians to stop panic buying as the Corporation was doing everything within its reach to address the situation.

    The NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr.  Ndu Ughamadu, in a statement quoted the NNPC GMD as saying “for the umpteenth time, I wish to call on all Nigerians to stop panic buying. We have said times without number that NNPC has sufficient products to cater for the needs of all consumers. ”

    Baru directed that more truckload of petroleum products be dispatched to various parts of the country to cushion the effects of excessive demand caused by panic buying.

    Read Also: NNPC to select core investor for Benue bio-fuel project – Baru

     

  • IPMAN crisis: Fresh fuel scarcity looms in South South

    IPMAN crisis: Fresh fuel scarcity looms in South South

    Some South South States and cities may soon be hit with another round of petroleum products scarcity following threat by the Warri chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to shut down activities from tomorrow.

    The decision by IPMAN to mount the offensive followed last Friday’s suspension of its executive election activities by the Delta State government.

    The election billed to hold in Asaba, the Delta State capital, had been bugged by rancour and disagreements between the immediate past chairman, Chief Benjamin Emoefe and other senior members of the body.

    The Nation gathered delegates to the election were already arriving in Asaba on Friday when the state government, in a statement by Paul Osahon, Director of Information, suspended the exercise, citing alleged anticipated violence over the process.

    Reacting to the decision, the interim spokesman of IPMAN in the state, Yusum Adam, advised the state government to allow the body conducts the election to institute a new administration.

    He warned that failure to do this would see all members of the body shutting down activities in Warri, starting from tomorrow.“Government must ensure that election is conducted. If that is not done by Monday, our men will close their fuel stations to sales.

    “Government assured of adequate security and peaceful elections. That’s why it moved the elections from Warri to Asaba,” he said.

    Erstwhile chairman of the body, Chief Emoefe, who is also known as Ben Jones, lauded the state government’s decision to suspend the activities, saying it was the needful step.

    Emoefe, whose interest to continue as chairman, against the will of some other members, was at the centre of the crisis rocking the body, noted the suspended election was going to run against some principles of IPMAN, if allowed to hold.

    “Government did the needful by suspending the exercise. They could not have taken a better decision because it is not the place of government to conduct elections for us.

    “The national body is the authority with the mandate, by our governing rules to supervise the elections. There is a common understanding that, as incumbent, I get a mandatory second tenure and my vice succeeds me.

    “This was not to be respected in the botched Warri IPMAN election because the right umpire wasn’t in charge. So, it is not just that the state government suspended the elections, it should vacate the responsibility to supervise the elections to the national body,” he argued.

     

  • Tanker drivers warn of fuel scarcity in Lagos

    The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) of National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG), yesterday warned of artificial scarcity of petroleum products, if the Lagos State Government implements its ban of articulated and petroleum tankers from Lagos roads.

    The government, on Friday, ordered all tankers and trailers to – for the meantime – keep off the roads and stop at Ojodu Berger, the outskirts of the state, to enable it solve the traffic congestion in the metropolis, as a result of tankers parking at Apapa, which had stretched up to Ikorodu Road.

    PTD National Chairman Comrade Salimon Oladiti while expressing shock at the “sudden  blanket order by the state government to stop all trucks and petroleum tankers from entering the state,” said his members are not responsible for the intractable traffic in the state.

    In a statement by his Public Relations Officer Comrade Atanda Adebayo, Oladiti said the traffic logjams are caused by the activities of articulated trailer drivers as they access all the ports in the Apapa and Tin Can area.

    He advised that any action that may affect the activities of petroleum tanker drivers should be discussed at “a roundtable because of the sensitive nature of the service they render to the public.”

    Oladiti said the union is ready at all times to “cooperate with the government on issues affecting the masses and the economy of the state.”

    According to him, the gridlock at Apapa is not caused by members of the petroleum tankers but by articulated truck drivers going into various wharfs in Apapa and Tin Can Ports.

    Oladiti, who said the bad roads affects his members by obstructing them from accessing depots to load petroleum products, noted that many of his members from all over the country, often spend close to two weeks under harsh conditions before getting to depots to load petroleum products.

    He urged the governor to among other places, visit Coconut Bus Stop on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, “which has become a death trap.” He assured of the readiness of his members to assist the government to address the traffic logjam at Apapa.

  • Fuel scarcity looms in six states as IPMAN threatens to shut stations

    Fuel scarcity looms in six states as IPMAN threatens to shut stations

    Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has warned of imminent fuel scarcity in the six states of the country due to what it described as an unfriendly business environment caused by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The association also accused private depots in the country of selling petroleum products above the government regulated prices.

    IPMAN therefore, urged the presidency, National Assembly and petroleum resources minister to stop NNPC from collecting unwarranted levies from its members “to ensure industrial harmony and save the general public from undeserved pains associated with fuel scarcity.”

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the Western Zone Chair of IPMAN, Alhaji Debo Ahmed said: “Labour unions- Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), NUPENG and PTD should not fold their arms while the downstream sector is being thrown into chaos.”

    The western zone of IPMAN comprises Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti states.

    Lamenting the state of the depots, Ahmed said: “It is unfortunate that all the five depots in the system 2B including the largest depot at Ibadan, which can store 120 million litres have been grounded for the past two years. With all the five depots grounded, marketers are tied to private depots in Apapa where they now serve the general public.

    “In the past, pipelines have been managed and secured by the depot stakeholders which are being financed by marketers.

    “All these contributions are not being  taken into consideration in the scheme of things. Marketers are left at the mercy of NNPC.  If people buy kerosene at N400 and above,  marketers should not be blamed but pitied because if the depots are working, prices will definitely come down.”

    He added: “As if what NNPC has been doing is not enough, it came out with a memo on  January 11, this year for marketers to renew their Bulk Purchase Agreement (BPA) at N125,000 per year for five years which translates into about N2 billion to cover NNPC/PPMC incidental expenses.

    “Several attempts have been made to dialogue with NNPC/PPMC management on this issue and availability of products in our depots but all to no avail; that is why we decided to inform the general public on this before we shut down our stations.

    “It is important to let people know that NNPC/PPMC has observed BPA in breach. In 2001, the idea was brought up by NNPC but upon discussion, it was dropped when they realised it was improper.”

  • Fuel scarcity looms as independent marketers allege subversion

    Fuel scarcity looms as independent marketers allege subversion

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is expressing concern over imminent fuel scarcity in the Southwest unless the Federal Government steps in to immediately.

     The association says private depot owners are currently supplying fuel to independent marketers at exorbitant prices, thereby subverting  government’s effort to  make petroleum products available at controlled prices.

     The IPMAN,in a statement by its Chairman at Mosimi,Ogun State, Mr. Samuel Idowu,recalled that independent marketers in the axis have “been buying petroleum products from the depot owners in Apapa at exorbitant prices due to non- availability of same at the NNPC depot at MOSIMI where the products are sold at the government-approved ex-deport prices of N133.28 for petrol.”

     The  private owners, he added, “are selling petrol for not less than N141 per litre, excluding cost of transportation to our various filling stations which ranges between N4 and N8 depending on the distance or location of the station”.

     Mr. Idowu asked government to arrest the looming fuel scarcity by ensuring the  immediate commencement of loading of petroleum products at the NNPC depot, Mosimi “where marketers are assured of getting products at government approved ex-depot prices.”

    The Mosimi  facility has been out of stock in the last one year owning  to incessant pipeline vandalism.

    The depot was designed to receive and redistribute petroleum products from Atlas Cove to the Southwest states  and  even up to Kwara State.

    Idowu named  difficulties at transfer and bridging points as  another major challenge faced by independent marketers from Mosimi where “one truck of product is not loaded earlier than three weeks or more depending on the depot where the transfer or bridging is being done in the Apapa axis of Lagos.”

    He pleaded with government and the various agencies involved in the fight against pipeline vandalism to redouble their effort to  make the menace a thing of the past.”

  • Fuel scarcity resurfaces in Kaduna

    Fuel scarcity resurfaces in Kaduna

    Long queues have resurfaced in most filling stations in Kaduna State following petrol scarcity.

    Residents said the scarcity might not be unconnected with the rumour of a likely increase in pump price of petrol by the Federal Government.

    The Nation learnt filling stations owned by independent marketers in the capital city have stopped selling petrol, claiming it is out of stock.

    During a visit to some of the filling stations by officials of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), it was discovered that the marketers hoarded the product, refusing to sell to the public.

  • Suleja depot ‘fire ‘ll not cause fuel scarcity’

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says the fire incident at its Suleja depot, will not lead to fuel scarcity in Abuja, Niger, Nassarawa and other parts of the country.

    The stste-run oil firm said the fire incident which affected a truck around 4am on Sunday will by no means disrupt the supply of petroleum products in the country.

    The Managing Director, Nigeria Pipeline and Storage Company (NPSC), Luke Anele said a team of NNPC and Niger State Fire Service officials rapidly put off the fire, affirming that no depot equipment was damaged during the inferno.

    NPSC is a subsidiary of NNPC, which manages pipelines, depots and pump stations among others across the federation.

    A statement endorsed by Ndu Ughamadu, the NNPC spokesman, the truck was burnt at the sump pit of the Suleja depot while evacuating mixed products meant to be decanted to the slop tank.

    The statement explained that the fire incident did not affect the loading section of the depot, explaining that normal loading, bridging and dispatch of products have continued.

    “Facilities in the depots are in good shape,” Anele assured.

  • Scarcity: Sokoto Govt. to sell petrol to motorists

    Sokoto State Government says it plans to commence the sale of one million litres of petrol to motorists weekly to stabilise the fuel supply situation in the state.

    The Chairman of the State’s Task Force on the supply of petroleum products, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Saturday.

    The task force chairman explained that the action was part of emergency measures being deployed by the state government to fully improve the fuel supply situation in the state.

    According to Magaji, the state government plans to renew its bulk purchase agreement licence with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in this direction.

    ”Consequently, the state government would start the bulk purchase of petrol and sell same to the motorists.

    ”Anytime the state government buys one million litres, it would get nothing less than thirty trucks of petrol.

    ” The state government has fuel dumps across city and its environs to sell the commodity to the motorists.

    ” The task force will do everything humanly possible towards ensuring the availability of the product across the state.

    ”We will ensure the effective monitoring and enforcement of all laws related to the sale and distribution of petroleum products.

    Magaji directed the petroleum marketers to open their filling stations and sell at the official pump price to motorists.

    NAN reports that although the fuel supply situation in the state was improving, some independent marketers were still selling the commodity between N160 and N 175 per litre instead of N145.

    A cross section of the motorists commended the state government for establishing the task force, and urged government to ensure the sustainable availability of petroleum products in the state.

  • Fuel scarcity looms, says IPMAN

    Fuel scarcity looms, says IPMAN

    • PEF owes marketers N200b

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday warned of imminent fuel across the country.

    Its Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Dankigari told The Nation on phone that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which sold the product for N133 per litre at the depots, was no longer loading petrol.

    According to him, private depots around Calabar were already selling the product between N138 and N140 per litre.

    He added that the marketers had decided to keep their trucks since the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) was already owing them over N200 billion for bridging the product.

    If this trend continues, he said, there will be scarcity of petrol and kerosene in the next few days.

    He said as petrol was difficult to access, kerosene was not available anywhere in the country.

    He said: “If care is not taken there will be fuel (petrol) scarcity because private depots have started increasing their rates; they are selling the product at a higher rate now in Calabar.

    “Secondly, the cost of diesel is increasing. It is between N250 to N270 per litre. You can see that the cost of diesel is high but it is equally available because it has been deregulated. In addition, PEF that is supposed to be paying the transport fare is not paying.

    “So, the marketers  have decided to keep their trucks. The money PEF is owing marketers is now over N200billion. If this trend continues, there will be scarcity and the products  will be very difficult to get. There is no kerosene at all.

    “The major problem is that in Calabar, marketers are buying this product at N138 to N140 from the private depots. You know that what the NNPC said we should collect is N133 NNPC but they are not loading.”

    Dankigari noted that the foreign exchange rate is too high for his members to import products into the country.

    He stressed that until the Federal Government completely deregulates the petrol and kerosene market, its importation will not be attractive to marketers.