Nigerians React To Fuel Scarcity, Call For Intervention From Government

Nigerians have reacted to the declaration of service withdrawal by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) which has led to fuel scarcity in many parts of the country.

 

According to a commercial driver who spoke with OgbaExpress, the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) is still selling fuel at N143 per litre while others raised the price to N150 per litre.

NNPC Filling Station

“It is only NNPC that is selling at N143 per litre. Other filling stations are selling at N150 per litre. Even at NNPC, the queue is very long so I had no choice than to buy at N150 per litre. The government should do something about this because this suffering is too much.

“I queue at the filling station when I should be going around to carry my passengers. Passengers too are complaining because we now have to slightly increase the fares. Christmas is around the corner and people will be travelling. If something is not done about it, there will be hike in transport fares”, he said.

“I hope this situation does not get out of hand in the days ahead,” a tricycle operator on the queue at Mobil filling station in Ogba, who identified himself simply as Sylvester lamented.

“The government should sort out whatever issue there is with the marketers to make fuel available”, he said.

Also speaking with OgbaExpress, a fuel attendant in a filling station in Agege area of Lagos state who pleaded anonymous disclosed that activities of fuel hoarders contributed to the fuel scarcity. She however pleaded with the government to engage relevant agencies in discussions so as to bring the scarcity to a halt.

“The government should take fast actions to tackle the scarcity. People are now buying petrol in large quantities wherever they find. The store the petrol at home because they don’t know wht is going to happen, especially as the festive period is drawing near. We all know the danger in storing petrol at home”, she said.

Meanwhile, VANGUARD reports that the Federal Government gave the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director, GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikanti Baru the matching order to clear the queues in filling stations in the country before weekend.

NPC GMD, Maikanti Baru  SOURCE: NEW TELEGRAPH

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who made this known after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja also stated that the rumour that there was plan to increase fuel pump price was not correct.

“The government has no intention at all to increase the pump price of PMS. This is winter period. There is always more demand for refined products for petroleum during winter period in the colder countries. This is what we are experiencing now”, he said.

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