The Nation Newspaper

Tag: petrol scarcity

  • Petrol Scarcity: NSCDC warns oil marketers in Ekiti

    THE Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) will today begin clampdown on petrol dealers hoarding or diverting products in Ekiti State.

    The NSCDC, Ekiti Command, said it would not allow those he described as unscrupulous dealers to create artificial scarcity in the state over  anticipation of a rise in official pump prices.

    Governor Kayode Fayemi  on Friday issued similar threat against some petrol dealers found to be hoarding fuel.

    This situation has forced motorists to engage in panic buying since Friday.

    The development had also caused long queues in filling stations across the state and hike in the pump price in some stations to N160 per litre.

    Speaking with reporters  in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the command’s  Commandant, Mr. Solomon Iyamu, said he had instructed anti-vandal operatives to begin random surveillance on petrol stations and arrest those hoarding the product.

    Iyamu, who spoke through the command’s Public Relations Officer, Tolu Afolabi, added that the operation would begin by 8am today.

    “We realised that long queues and artificial scarcity had been created by some petrol dealers and we are ready to address the issue.

    “We learnt from good authorities that very high number of our petrol stations are now hoarding the product. Some are also selling above N145 pet litre. These are the issues we will tackle squarely,” he stated.

    The NSCDC boss appealed to motorists to always inform it of any wrongdoings from any filling stations to help his men and officers in carrying out the operation.

    He promised that the command would also strengthen its operation to prevent those who could divert products meant for Ekiti to another state, thereby creating scarcity in the system.

    Iyamu, however, warned petrol dealers against inflicting hardship on the people by hoarding the product, saying it is illegal and any filling station found culpable of such an activity would be sanctioned accordingly.

  • Marketers warn against imminent petrol scarcity

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday raised the alarm over the fear of a looming fuel scarcity.

    Its National Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, who spoke with The Nation in Abuja, said members who paid for the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) since last two weeks were yet to get the product.

    He said: “We have paid the money and we cannot access the product. The way we have been buying products from them is above government stipulated rate of N133.28. We are buying it at the rate of N140 and N141, yet you cannot access it.  If the government does not take extra care, definitely we are expecting a serious scarcity.”

    Reacting to the development, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it has imported  10 vessels laden with petrol currently offshore Lagos.

    Its  Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in a text message yesterday, added that the oil firm  has over one billion litres  of petrol that it has spread across the various depots in the country.

    He urged IPMAN to pay for the products to private depots only when they are sure of availability.

    Ugahmadu said: “We have over one billion litres spread across many depots nationwide with 10 import vessels currently offshore Lagos laden with PMS.

    “We advise marketers to patronise NNPC depots, pay for product to private depots only when they are sure such depots have stock to avoid being used to finance their procurements and report to DPR, depots  that sell above N133.28.”

    Maigandi said an attempt to deregulate the petrol market will aggravate the situation, urging the government to fashion out a measure for managing the fuel market before it gets out of hand.

    He said the NNPC depots that are selling the product at the official pump price of N133.28 per litre while the private depot owners have hiked their rates to between N40 and N41 per litre.

  • Fed Govt urged to address petrol scarcity’

    An independent petroleum marketer, Mr. Saheed Omogbolahan Adigun, has urged the Federal Government to address occasional petrol scarcity.

    Adigun, who trades under Gastab Oil and Gas, spoke at the inauguration of his fourth filling station on Ibadan/Oyo Road, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    He said the government should be more proactive in dealing with scarcity, adding that saboteurs should be arrested and prosecuted.

    According to him, marketers should consider the welfare and interest of customers by being contented with small profits.

    Adigun said he was happy that his dream of opening the station had been fulfilled and hailed his boss, Chief Salimon Akanni Oladiti, the National Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) for helping him to actualise his dream.

     

  • ‘Why petrol scarcity persists’

    ‘Why petrol scarcity persists’

    Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) marketers yesterday said  the product remained scarce in the hinterland.

    The National Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Danladi Pasali, told The Nation over the phone that the issues with the Federal Government were only resolved last week.

    He said it takes about four days to one week for trucks laden with petrol to travel from Lagos and other depots to some parts of the country, saying the situation is improving in some states

    He said unless marketers start fuel importation after  resolving the issues with the government, there is bound to be pockets of fuel scarcity.

    His words: “ The product is still not yet available in the outskirts.

    You know that it was last week we resolved our issue to mobilise trucks to those areas.

    “From Lagos to some states, it takes five to six ,or one week because of the road situation. I am sure before the week runs ,there will be improvement in the situation.

    Pasali said the situation is improving, saying over 20 filling stations were selling in Plateau. It is improving. It is no longer like before.  Unless we all import at once to augment NNPC, there will still be pockets of scarcity here and there.”

    Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Obafemi Olawore, said the marketers had to always start from Abuja, Lagos before getting to other states, pointing out that the major cities have been cleared of queues and that fuel will soon go round to the outskirts in Nigeria.

  • Boxing Day: Petrol scarcity paralyses fun at National Theatre

    The National Theatre Complex in Iganmu, Lagos, was unusually  quiet yesterday – which was   Boxing Day.  Only few picnickers were there to catch fun.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was little to suggest that Boxing Day was taking place in the premises as the usual carnival-like atmosphere was absent.

    NAN reports that only handful of people were seen in the open ground overlooking the theatre as well as other spots around the premises.

    Patronage was low for restaurant and kiosk owners as they waited on end for customers.

    A couple of families were seen eating and drinking in some of the restaurants.

    A bar owner in the premises, Mr Clement Duru, complained of low patronage, saying that business was not good owing to low number of visitors.

    Duru blamed the situation on scarcity of petrol pervading every part of the country.

    He said that the situation prevented many people from going out to have fun that usually characterised the second day of Christmas.

    “My brother, business is really bad today. People are not coming to the theatre to celebrate Christmas and Boxing Day this year.

    “Of course, the petrol crisis is the major cause, coupled with the nation’s economic issues. Things are just too low here,’’ he said.

    Duru said that he has not recorded 20 per cent of what he normally made during Yuletide period owing to the situation.

    A fun seeker, Mr Simeon Akinboboye, said that he did not get as much fun as he would have loved to get at the theatre.

    Akinboboye said he was disappointed that he did not see many people coming for fun at the complex this year.

    He blamed the situation on petrol crisis, saying that many fun seekers preferred to stay indoors to avoid the stress of coming to the theatre.

    “The whole place is dry. It is not as it used to be. Obviously, it is the fuel problem. People don’t have fuel to go out,” he said.

    Another fun seeker, Mrs Ngozi Emmanuel, said her family decided to come to have fun in spite of the petro crisis.

    Emmanuel said that she enjoyed the atmosphere as it was not as rowdy as it used to be, adding it was good for her kind of nature.

    She said that the fuel situation probably prevented many fun seekers from coming out, especially those coming from far distances.

    “Though, turn out is low, it is still okay. I have fun,’’ Emmanuel said.

    Another fun seeker, who simply identified himself as Austin, urged the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the persistent petrol scarcity, especially during the festive period.

    He said that this would allow Nigerians to move about without stress during festive period.

  • Petrol scarcity bites harder in Akwa Ibom

    Akwa Ibom is now groaning under a severe scarcity of fuel sparked by a strike by tanker drivers.

    Mr Bassey Nkanga, the Controller of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, told newsmen in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State yesterday that the development followed a misunderstanding between the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state and the tanker drivers.

    Nkanga said the tanker drivers had already protested over the arrest of one of their colleagues by NSCDC for alleged loading of adulterated products.

    The controller, however, said that the DPR had been making effort to settle the crisis between both parties.

    “I wonder why the parties are not considering the plight of the people before taking any action,’’ he said.

    According to Nkanga, the independent marketers are beginning to take advantage of the problem to make brisk business.

    He said that more than 200 trucks loaded with the product were parked along the road, but the drivers had refused to enter the city, thereby making life difficult for the people.

    Also speaking, Mr Essien Esema, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Udom Emmanuel on Petroleum Matters, said the tanker drivers had no reason to embark on any form of strike over the matter.

    Esema expressed displeasure with the development, saying that it was not proper for the people to hold the state to ransom at any slight provocation.

    This is the second time the NSCDC and tanker drivers are having issues.

    Following the incident, petrol now sells for N170 per litre in the area.

    NAN checks also revealed that most of the filling stations don’t open to customers until late in the night to dispense their products.

  • DPR begins 24-hour surveillance on depots, filling stations

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says it has set up a 24-hour special task force to supervise and monitor petrol sales at depots and stations.

    It said that the task force would sanction depots and stations selling above the recommended price.

    Mrs Dorothy Bassey, Assistant Director, Public Affairs in DPR, disclosed this in telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

    Bassey said the special team was set up purposely for the Yuletide with powers to take over the sale of the product from those selling above the approved price.

    She said that the agency had met with stakeholders to convey government’s displeasure on illegal sale of petrol above the stipulated price and the long queues at the filling stations.

    The DPR warned that those involved in the criminal act would henceforth lose their licence under the new steps being taken by agency to enforce discipline.

    “We have instituted 24-hour surveillance by special task force which we are not going to disclose their identity because we don’t want them to be harassed.

    Bassey said that those selling petrol above the pump price were doing so at night.

    She said that any station caught would be forced to sell at the official price “so that we don’t seal them to compound the scarcity”.

    She said that the agency had some dedicated numbers on its Website through which Nigerians could send their complaints.

    Meanwhile, some marketers, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that the ongoing petrol scarcity would persist as government had failed to address issue of foreign exchange hindering fuel importation.

    They said that marketers were willing to import fuel, but scarcity of foreign exchange remained a serious challenge.

    NAN correspondent, who monitored sale of petrol in parts of Lagos on Thursday, reported that queues were seen in some filling stations on Ikorodu Road, Maryland and Alaka area.

    Many stations were still not selling petrol.

    Some stations in Epe, Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu were selling petrol between N100 and N 110 per litre.