05 May 2015, Abuja – Reprieve from the lingering fuel scarcity across the country may soon come the way of Nigerians following the pledge made monday by oil marketers to end days of petrol scarcity.
The promise came after a protracted meeting between federal government officials led by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and those of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) represented by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Obafemi Olowore.
The meeting was held to iron out the grey areas between both parties, including disparities on outstanding subsidy claims, and the insistence by the marketers to be paid outstanding claims in two weeks.
But the knotty issue of the disparity over what is actually due to the marketers after the last payment of N154 billion last week, was played down monday.
Briefing journalists after the meeting in her office, Okonjo-Iweala and Olowore said that the differences had been sorted out, but declined to state categorically what the outstanding claims to the marketers were.
The minister said the marketers had already agreed that since the issue of claims was a rolling one and the government had been meeting its payment obligations as much as possible, they would henceforth ensure the supply of fuel to end the hardship Nigerians are facing across the country.
The minister said the marketers had already commenced the process of ending the fuel scarcity by ensuring the supply of the product in Lagos, adding that in a few days, Abuja and other parts of the country would get reprieve.
Agreeing with the minister, the MOMAN executive secretary said some vessels had already berthed at two jetties in Lagos, discharging fuel, adding that reprieve was on the way.
The minister cleared the air on what was actually paid to the marketers last week, pointing out that N154 billion was actually paid to them and not N156 billion as had been reported, adding that the error had been rectified
– This Day