By Mary Tom
The Group Managing Director/CEO of NNPC Limited, Mal Mele Kyari since assumption of office has not only ensured adequate stock of fuel in its depots across the country but also supplied the marketers enough to meet consumers’ demand throughout the Yuletide season and beyond. He has also ordered that more cargoes be supplied to both Lagos and Abuja areas to ensure that the situation is brought under control as soon as possible.
In swift response to the rumoured confusion about the return of fuel scarcity which became prevalent last week, has prompted the NNPC to issue a statement to plunge tensely, as Nigerians are reassured that government had no plans to adjust neither retail nor wholesale price of petroleum products across the country.
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Kano State chapter had precisely in October, alerted the Federal Government over an imminent fuel crisis in the country following the decision by some unpatriotic private depot owners to unilaterally raise the price of the product.
The former depot price is paid by marketers before lifting products at the depot, while pump price is the retail price by consumers per litre of the fuel at the filling stations.
Last week the Federal Government, engaged marketers, assuring that the constriction over payment of transportation would be addressed and reduced.
Monitoring team that went round Abuja on recently noticed that few petrol stations in Abuja and environs are having normal operations. As there were queues at some filling stations as a result of panic buying by consumers.
His spoke person Garba Deen Muhammad said few weeks ago that; “The fuel queues witnessed in some parts of the country is due to panic buying by motorists. We have assured the people that the NNPC has sufficient stock of petroleum products to last throughout the coming festive season and beyond, the spokesperson,
He added that; “investigation revealed that the NNPC Limited sells products to marketers according to the prices arrived at by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The ex-depot petrol price of N148 per litre and the pump price of N165 per litre have not changed according to the NNPC.
There is no doubt that some private depot owners are trying to sabotage the Federal Government by unilaterally increasing their prices despite the fact that the government has not raised the fuel pump price.
That Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority will not fold its arms and allow such unpatriotic private depot owners to engage in unnecessary price increase while the public is always accusing their members of flagrant increase in fuel prices. As they have waded into the issue with the marketers, to pave the way for uninterrupted fuel supply in the country, particularly at the coming Christmas season.
On the issue that some private Depot owners have jerked up the price from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre, the NNPC Limited has continued to engage marketers, assuring that the bottleneck overpayment of transportation bridging would be addressed.
It is pertinent to know that NNPC Limited has over 1.7bn litres of PMS that will last beyond the festive period and well into the New Year, so most of what is witnessed at some filling stations is due to panic buying.
Hopefully, the management of the NNPC Limited will investigate and intervene on some private depot owners trying to cause fuel crisis in the country by closing the depots as the last quarter approaches in order to maximize profit.”
Mary Tom is a publisher with Fast Track News based in Abuja and can be reached via 08136039179 , E-mail: mtmariana19@gmail.com
