Oscarline Onwuemenyi 10 March 2015, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, announced on Monday that it released more than eight million litres of petroleum products from the Suleja Depot to address the challenge of fuel scarcity in Abuja.
The DPR spokesperson, Seidu Mohammed, who disclosed this in an interview with the press in Abuja, added that the supply at the weekend, which was over 420 trucks, was the peak of supply to the Federal capital Territory.
According to him, the average supply to the Federal Capital Territory was 7.5 million litres, adding that supply had to be increased to ensure that the city had more than enough.
“The supply during the peak of the scarcity is between three and five million litres of petrol. As you can see now that the situation has improved and the queues have almost disappeared in the city except for one or two filling stations, motorists can drive in and buy fuel at ease, Mohammed noted.
The DPR therefore assured the public of adequate supply of products, stressing that there was enough stock at the depot to take care of motorists.
Mohammed further explained that the DPR had raised surveillance teams to monitor the situation and ensure that no marketer sold above pump price or under-dispense to motorists.
He called on the residents to report any suspected manipulation by fuel attendants at the stations to the appropriate authority.
He further warned that any oil marketer who indulged in sharp practices would be sanctioned accordingly by the agency, by either being suspended or withdrawal of licence.
A check on some of the filling stations revealed queues were no longer as bad as they were last week. The situation has eased off considerably as motorists buy fuel without much struggle or waiting unduly before getting it.
Mohammed attributed the return of long queues to drop in the lifting of fuel by marketers due to unresolved issues with the Federal Government. He said the government had, however, resolved the issue and the marketers had since resumed the supply of the products.