NNPC’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mister Adeyemi Adetunju, gave this explanation while he was addressing a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has blamed the recent fuel queues in Lagos and Abuja on some road constructions that are ongoing.
The recent queues in Lagos are largely due to ongoing road infrastructure projects around Apapa and access road challenges in some parts of Lagos depots,” he said. “The gridlock is easing out and NNPC has programmed vessels and trucks to unconstrained depots and massive load outs from depots to various states are closely being monitored.”
“Abuja is impacted by the challenges recorded in Lagos. NNPC Retail and key marketers have intensified dedicated loading into Abuja to restore normalcy as soon as possible.”
He however assured Nigerians that they are putting in efforts to ensure that normalcy returns as fast as possible.
We want to reassure all Nigerians that NNPC has sufficient products, and we significantly increased product loading including 24-hour operations in selected depots and extended hours at strategic stations to ensure products sufficiency nationwide,” he assured.
“We are also working with the NMDPRA, MOMAN, DAPPMAN, IPMAN, NARTO, PTD, and other industry stakeholders to ensure normalcy is returned.”
The NNPC, he added, has a “national PMS stock of over 2 billion liters. This is equivalent to over 30 days of sufficiency”.
Fuel queues and scarcity is recurrent in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the largest producers of crude oil globally. Commuters have been left stranded as a result of the most recent queues in several parts of the country.
Others have resulted in buying fuel from black marketers that have of course cash in on the current situation. This they have done by selling at a very exorbitant price.
The government has mentioned that payment for fuel is un-stainable and has planned its removal for next year. A move that is sure to face some pushback.
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