– Filling stations run out of fuel
– 300 million litre petrol-laden vessels discharging in Lagos
OpeOluwani Akintayo
Lagos — As fuel scarcity caused by withdrawal of petrol due to excessive amount of methanol bites harder, findings showed that black marketers have begun cashing out big time, as product now sells for N400 per litre.
Residents of Lagos and Ogun state are now being forced to pay N1,500 for four litres. Similarly, 25 litre jerrycan of fuel is being sold for N10,000 which translates to N400/litre. Petrol sold for N165 per litre at the pump before the crises.
Findings revealed that most petrol stations as of Tuesday, have ran out of products with many of them under lock and keys.
As a result, residents are forced to patronise black marketers who sell to them at higher prices.
Further investigation showed that many of the filling stations have begun profiteering by selling the product only to black marketers so as to make quick money.
While most stations have shut their gates for lack of products, a few like Mobil, Conoil and Nipco were seen selling as of Tuesday.
Long queues were at the TotalEnergies Abule-Onigbagbo Filling station, the only station that was dispensing the product on the long stretch of road between Maryland and Ikeja.
In Sango-Idiroko road, all filling stations between Oju-Ore and Iju also shut their gates.
Sharp practices were noticed in this axis as Mobil filling station in Oja Ota, and Nipco station in Arobieye were seeing on Tuesday dispensing the product to only the black marketers who, in return, sell to motorists waiting outside the gate.
stations along Ago, Apple Junction and 2nd Rainbow were as of Tuesday morning, seen under lock and key, while just a handful of stations dispensed.
Most stations along Ago-Okota, and Festac town have also locked up, with the exception of Mobil, Jezco, Bollington Oil, and NIPCO which had queues stretching into the road.
SweetcrudeReports gathered that two vessels laden with 300 million litres of petrol, which arrived at Lagos ports, have started to discharge the product.
The vessels arrived on Tuesday at ASPM jetty Ijora and Wednesday at Pinnacle jetty, Apapa, area of Lagos.
SweetcrudeReports had on Tuesday, reported that state oil company, NNPC Limited had imported fresh petrol that met Nigeria’s specification into the country.
A vessel, MT USMA was said to have brought in some product last Thursday.
Although NNPC did not immediately give orders for distribution of the product due to various quality control tests it ran on the product to avoid past mistake, however, marketers said the newly imported fuel has been dispatched to depots for nationwide distribution.
Approval for distribution was given to marketers on Saturday.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA had said that at least six vessels ordered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC Limited had arrived the country.
Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, said the vessels came in with 300 million litres of petrol meant to close the gap created by the adulterated petrol withdrawn from depots and filling stations.
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