25 July 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – SOME fuel stations operators in Lagos have decried non-availability of kerosene to consumers, urging the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to supply it at official price.
The operators said major marketers had not received supply of the product since the beginning of 2012.
The Federal Government in 2011 embarked on direct sale of kerosene to consumers through a collaborative effort with Capital Oil and Gas Limited.
The Kero-Direct Scheme was aimed at ensuring that the product is made available to vast majority of Nigerians and to generate additional direct employment for Nigerians.
Mr John Olagunju, the Manager of Total Filling Station at Fadeyi, said that major marketers could not get the product from the depot at official price of N49.50.
He said that instead, they got the product through third parties at high rates, which made it difficult for them to sell at N50 per litre as directed by the government.
“We find it difficult to comply with the directive that we should sell the product at N50 per litre when the product is not even available at the official price.
“We use to buy kerosene from the third parties and this was why most marketers were selling it above N50 per litre,” he said.
Another operator, Mr Tayo Adeleke, the Manager of Mobil Filling Station along Itire road, Ojuelegba, said that the product was not available at N50 per litre at the depot.
He advised the Federal Government to make kerosene available at the official price for the major marketers to sell at N50 per litre to the consumers.
Adeleke said that if the product was available, it would alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians that depended on it for their domestic cooking.
Mr Segun Olusesan, the Manager, Total Filling Station, Ijora, said that government had not made the product available to the masses.
He said that no marketer got the products for sale in their stations since January at the official price of N49.50.
“Kerosene is being sold to independent marketers, who now sell at higher price.
“The major marketers cannot sell at the official price and that is why they do not supply us with the product,” he said.
Mr Akeem Balogun, the Manager of MRS Filling Station, Lawanson, said that the station sold its last stock of kerosene in 2011.
When contacted, Mr Fidelis Pepple, the NNPC acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, said he could not comment on the development.
