09 April 2015, Abuja – An over 3 million litre shortfall in fuel supply to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is the reason for the lingering queues at filling stations in the city and its environs, Daily Trust has learnt.
A source at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said the average fuel consumption in Abuja was 8 million litres but what is being lifted and supplied now fluctuates between four and five million litres.
Figures obtained from the DPR Abuja office indicate that on April 1, 4.4 million litres were supplied to the capital city which dropped to 3.6 million litres the next day and further down to 2.8million litres on April 3.
The source, who also attributed the queue to a slight drop in the lifting of petrol by marketers from Suleja Depot in Niger State, however, did not indicate the reason behind the drop.
NNPC spokesman, Ohi Alegbe, attributed the situation to panic buying by motorists and urged the public to refrain from stockpiling petrol while cautioning marketers to desist from hoarding the product.