12 April 2013, Lagos – Petrol shortage may be imminent in some states as trucks have stopped loading from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, depots in the South-West since Monday.
A reliable source told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos, Thursday, that the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of NNPC, had stopped pumping petrol through its System 2B to five states in the South-West.
He said: “The management of PPMC has not come out with a cogent reasons why it is not pumping petrol to all the NNPC depots in the South-West since Monday, “ the source said.
“As we speak, depots in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara and Ondo States are not getting their fuel supply.“
According to reports, the System 2B pipelines take petroleum products from Atlas Cove on the sea to depots in Ejigbo (Lagos State), Mosinmi (Ogun State), Ibadan (Oyo State), Ilorin (Kwara State) and Ore (Ondo State).
“Over 15,000 trucks have paid to load fuel in Ejigbo, Mosinmi, Ore, Ibadan and Ilorin since last week, but are yet to receive them.
“Many of us borrowed the money from banks with which we use to load our trucks.
“And now, with the delay we will have to pay more interests on the loans we have taken. This deal is definitely a big loss to us.“The source, who is a major marketer, told NAN that investigation showed that there had been a major fault at Atlas Cove since last week.
“Unfortunately, the NNPC is not coming out to tell us why we have not received our order,“ he said.
Mr Haruna Momoh, Managing Director of PPMC, declined to comment on the matter when contacted on phone.
