Ike Amos
05 December 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja — Fuel queues resurfaced in Abuja on Monday, with motorists spending long hours in their quest to purchase the commodity.
The scarcity was obviously in response to threats by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, to withdraw their services following their crisis with Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA, over the purported hike in the price of the petrol.
Most of the fuel stations visited in Abuja were shut down, including some NNPC Retail Stations, while the few that were selling recorded large queues of motorists.
However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division assured that there is enough stock of fuel to ensure seamless supply and distribution of products across the country.
The NNPC enjoined motorists and other users of petroleum products to disregard trending rumours of an impending fuel price hike, stating that it has the full commitment of all downstream stakeholders including petroleum marketers and industry unions to cooperate in achieving zero fuel scarcity this season and beyond.
It also enjoined motorists not to engage in panic buying or indulge in the dangerous practice of stocking petroleum products in jerry cans at home.
The NNPC noted that its downstream subsidiary companies namely the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and NNPC Retail Limited are fully geared up to ensure that motorists enjoy uninterrupted access to petrol throughout the nation.
It assured that there is no plan to increase the prices of petroleum products both at the ex-depot level and pump price ahead of the forthcoming yuletide.
He noted that the ex-depot petrol price of N133.38 per litre and the pump price of N143/N145 per litre have not changed noting that the NNPC has enough stock of fuel to ensure seamless supply and distribution of products across the country.
