Business

Chief of Defence Staff threatens action as petrol prices hit N400/litre

Published

2 years ago

February 1, 2023

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, yesterday threatened that the Federal Government would not fail to activate alternative actions should the marketers of petroleum product fail to end the prolonged fuel scarcity.

The CDS and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) held a meeting with Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN); the Depot Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), and Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) in Abuja.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari, said pricing was an issue and not petrol supply as NNPCL has over 800 million litres of petrol in marine and over 700 million litres on land across retail outlets, sufficient for 30 days.

“We do have 24-day sufficiency for AGO (diesel) and the aviation we have 45 days of stuffiness for ATK aviation fuel,” he said.

He added that there is fuel in every depot and evacuation was ongoing.

The NNPC boss noted that petrol smuggling was on the rise as over 67million litres of petrol has been evacuated daily but the crisis has prevailed.

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“We have evidence now and we’re following this through that some of our customers are actually taking products to other countries. And we’ll get to the root of this. And the appropriate government security agencies will deal with this,” Kyari said.

The NNPC head also blamed the marketers, saying they did not follow the official petrol price rate at the depots and increased prices arbitrarily as some depots sell from N172 to N260/l above the agreed price, saying the marketers could not buy at that rate and sell at official rate.

“We have challenged IPMAN to bring documents on depots selling at N260 to them, but no one will bring a record,’’ he added.

The Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, confirmed there were several pacts with the marketers and transporters but such deals had not been followed through.

“But again, the more we agree, the more you lift the lever. We cannot continue like that,” he said.

He said recently NMDPRA sanctioned seven depots as deterrents but that did not work.

He urged marketers to help provide names of depots selling above ex-depot price but they refused.

CDS Irabor said: “It’s a crisis of internal nature which security and Police should lead but if it gets above that, there is an alternative.

“If there is no solution, let me reiterate that the government is not handicapped and there is an alternative and we pray that we don’t get to the level where the alternative will be activated,” Irabor said.

The Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba, said the problem is in distribution, and urged operators for increased monitoring of the process.

“I think it is our role to assist the NNPC in monitoring the process of distribution if that will help us leverage the problem.”

Chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MoMAN) Adetunji Oyebanji, said there are other costs that operators incur outside the ex-depot price. As he urged members to work to ensure products are supplied at the official rate.

Chairman of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Mrs Winifred Akpani, said the depot owners met last week on how to solve the price problem and distribution too.

She urged NNPC to only deliver products to depots (members) that will supply the right way, alleging that DAPPMAN does not regulate depot owners who are non-members.

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“We have all determined to ensure that we can help where we can help,” adding that profiteering is causing many problems to the country.

NARTO president, Yusuf Othman, lamented the increase in freight rate due to market reality saying officially it is N42 per kilometre but in reality it’s over N50 and so truckers give preference to marketers that pay cash and the market rate.

He decried the rising cost of buying trucks which he now said is over N60m as well as rising diesel cost of N880/l.

He noted that only major marketers pay twice for freight and that only OVH/NNPC give diesel at rebate, others do not.

According to Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, said marketers have no right to increase the price because petrol is subsidized.

“Our position at NUPENG is that any depot or filling station that sells above the price must have the wrath of Nigerians to face,” he said.

The price of petrol across the country averaged between N380 and N400 per litre yesterday as the scarcity of the product assumed a disturbing dimension, nearly grinding economic activities.

Our correspondent who monitored some petrol stations in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia state reports that most major marketers were out of stock of the product.

A visit to MRS filing by Asa road and among others revealed that they dispensed their PMS to customers at N400 per liter.

Commercial bus and tricycle operators operating within Umuahia capital city and Aba have since increased their fares with N50, N100 or more depending on the distance.

In Osun State, petrol was sold for N400, N370 and N365 per liter.

Although there is no long queues at the petrol stations selling at these prices, there are still are still long queues in other stations where it is sold for cheaper rates.

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Long queues still surfaces at Bovas, NNPC, Matrix, NIPCO among others in the city.

Residents of Makurdi, Benue State capital and its environs are passing through hell to buy petrol too.

Yesterday, petrol was sold at #355 per litre in all the Independent marketers filing stations in Makurdi.

Getting the products was difficult as motorist remained on long queue for hours lamenting in frustration

The situation remained same in Adamawa State.

Car owners and commercial vehicle operators queued up in the few filling stations dispensing fuel where prices ranged at between N370 and N390 per litre within the state capital, Yola, and as much as N500 per litre in rural communities in the southern and northern tips of the state.

The whole of Yola had just one NNPC mega station selling fuel at the ‘sane’ price of N199 per litre yesterday, but the queue is usually so long that only people with the luxury of servants or unattached staff could send such persons, usually to buy large volumes of the commodity.

In Kaduna State, scarcity of petrol persisted in Kaduna, as price of the product reached N625 in the black market.

Also, our correspondents observed that, few major and independent petrol stations dispensing petrol for N210 per litre, had unprecedented queue, while filing stations on the outskirts of the metropolis, especially on Kaduna-Zaria highway, Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Kachia roads, were selling for between N350 to N380 per litre.

The Nigeria Midstream and Down Stream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said it has intensified routine patrol and monitoring of servicing stations to enhance steady fuel supply in Adamawa.

While going round some of the filling stations in Yola , it was observed that a team of officials led by the State Coordinator of the Regulatory Agency directed all filling stations which had products to begin selling to consumers or risked being sanctioned.

In Edo State, Godwin Obaseki led administration promised quick end to the scarcity and hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), thereby receiving 780,000 litres of petrol.

It also set up of a task force to monitor the distribution and sale of petrol in filling stations across the 18 local government areas of the Southsouth state.

Edo Commissioner for Mining and Energy, Ethan Uzamere, an engineer, who was accompanied by his counterpart in the Ministry of Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, and the Special Adviser to Obaseki on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, made the disclosure yesterday afternoon in Benin at a news conference.

The news conference took place after the meeting between the representatives of Edo government and leaders of the protesting Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state.

Uzamere revealed that the supplied product (780,000 litres) would be distributed among the major and independent marketers of petroleum products in Edo’s three senatorial districts.

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He stated that Edo government would monitor the sale of petrol in the state, in order to ensure that members of the public were not exploited by the owners of the various filling stations.

The commissioner for mining and energy in Edo disclosed that members of the petroleum monitoring task force would be unveiled later yesterday evening, while assuring that all efforts would be put in place to ensure that no product supplied to the state was diverted.

He said: “Edo government has heard the cries of the residents of the state on the issue of fuel scarcity in Edo. The state government is working to ensure the availability of the product.

“As part of the measures, Edo government has set up a task force to monitor the situation, and ensure that no resident of the state is exploited. We also wish to announce that already, the state has received 780,000 litres of petrol, which will be distributed to major and independent marketers.

“The task force, whose members will be announced before the close of work today (Tuesday), will monitor the distribution and sale of petroleum products in Edo State.”

Nehikhare, in his remarks, gave an assurance that the welfare of the residents of Edo was very crucial, and being taken seriously by the state government.

Edo commissioner for communication and orientation also hailed leaders of CSOs for the maturity displayed in handling the protest that erupted on Monday, over petrol scarcity and price hike, while assuring that Obaseki’s administration would continue to engage all the major stakeholders, in order to find a lasting solution to the fuel challenge.

Osagie, while also speaking, noted that part of the duties of the task force’s members would be to monitor prices of petroleum products in Edo, while warn the marketers against arbitrary increase in the prices of the products,.declaring that anyone caught would be severely punished according to the dictates of the law.

The Nation

Related Topics:Chief of Defence Staff Featured petrol prices

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Lagos Govt to redesign Oshodi motor park for rail integration

Published

14 hours ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi

Lagos Govt to redesign Oshodi motor park for rail integration

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to redesign the Oshodi Transport Interchange (OTI) to integrate the facility with the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems, advancing its Rail Mass Transit project.

This initiative aims to deliver seamless connectivity between the two key rail networks and enhance commuters’ experience in Lagos.

The disclosure was conveyed via a statement shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation on Saturday, highlighting the need to optimize the design and operations of the OTI to boost efficiency and align with global standards.

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To kickstart the process, the Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Seun Osiyemi, held a meeting with stakeholders to assess the current state of the interchange and outline strategies for its improvement.

“The Ministry of Transportation sought to address the ongoing developments and challenges affecting the Oshodi Transport Interchange (OTI) in preparedness for the integration of the Rail Mass transit system; Red Line rail project connecting the Blue Line.

“The Ministry recognized that a review of the OTI’s design and operations is essential for its optimization which led to the Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi meeting with relevant Stakeholders to discuss the current state of the OTI and identify viable solutions that would enhance its operational efficiency in alignment with global standards and Standard Operating Procedures,” the statement read in part.

Lagos Govt to redesign Oshodi motor park for rail integration

Auto

Nigeria’s firm, Weststar Associates, shines in Dubai, wins Daimler Truck EliteClass award

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigeria’s firm, Weststar Associates, shines in Dubai, wins Daimler Truck EliteClass award

Weststar Associates Limited, Authorised General Distributor of Daimler Truck in Nigeria, has brought honour home all the way from United Arab Emirates specifically at the EliteClass 2024 Season Awards.

Daimler Truck Middle East Africa the Weststar team with the Silver Award in the Elite CSP (Customer Service and Parts) Performance category.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lagos, which added that the EliteClass 2024 Awards ceremony brought together 40 Daimler Truck Business Partners for a night of recognition and celebration.
Held at the One & Only Royal Mirage in Dubai, the prestigious black-tie event honoured top-performing general distributors that have demonstrated exceptional performance, dedication, and commitment to excellence in 2024.
The EliteClass 2024 Awards C
ceremony was the culmination of a year-long EliteClass programme for the Middle East and Africa measuring 24 categories across the entire business spectrum for Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Daimler Buses, and Fuso Trucks & Bus.
The awards highlighted the dedication and resilience of partners who have achieved outstanding performance and a remarkable commitment to excellence and contributed significantly to Daimler Truck’s success in the MEA regions.
President & CEO of Daimler Truck Middle East Africa, Mr. Michael Dietz, emphasized the importance of collaboration and performance-driven success during his opening address. “EliteClass 2024 is more than just an awards ceremony—it is a testament to the hard work, commitment, and shared vision of our partners.
“Their achievements continue to drive our brand forward, setting new benchmarks in customer experience and operational excellence across the region,” he said.
Weststar’s General Manager, Sales, Mr. Christopher Irumudomon, was present at the EliteClass 2024 Season Awards ceremony to accept the Silver Award in the Elite CSP (Customer Service and Parts) Performance category.
While presenting this award, the Daimler Trucks MEA leadership made the following statement: “Congratulations on your achievement in the EliteClass Central Africa 2024 Season. We are pleased to recognize your individual category achievement.”
The EliteClass 2024 Awards reaffirms Daimler Truck’s commitment to excellence, continuous growth, and the recognition of partners who drive success in an evolving industry landscape.
According to the statement, Weststar Associates Limited continues to fly the flag of the “brand with the star” high in Nigeria.
It said the company had remained the go-to home for all Mercedes-Benz needs in this region.
“With a dealership network that expands to the major regions of the country, along with highly trained and experienced sales and after-sales staff. Nigerians can rest assured that they will always have ‘the best or nothing’ at their disposal,” it stated.

Railway

NRC to revive Lagos 2pm MTTS train as Opeifa tours districts

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

From right: Lagos Railway District Manager, Engr Augustine Arisa, Director Mechanical, Electrical Engr Jerry Oche, NRC MD, Dr Kayode Opeifa and one of the women Engineers Omage Patrick...on Friday.

NRC to revive Lagos 2pm MTTS train as Opeifa tours districts

The Nigerian Railwaiy Corporation (NRC) will soon revive its Lagos 2pm mass transit train service (MTTS) in line with the demands of passengers.

Managing Director of the NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, disclosed in Lagos, assuring Nigerians of the readiness of the corporation to serve them better.

He spoke at the Iddo Train Station, while addressing train passengers commuting daily from Ijoko and other border communities in Ogun State to Iddo and Idumota axis of the Lagos Island.

A statement by the Deputy Director of Public Relations at the NRC, Mahmood Yakubu, quoted the MD as saying, “NRC management being aware of the centrality of the MTT Kajola to Iddo rail line to the continued prosperity of the Iddo, Idumota and some other big markets in Lagos will not only continue to sustain the line, but work to add addition service after careful commercial market viability and sustainability studies.”

Opeifa was at Iddo Station to assess the available space in preparation for upcoming developmental and revitalization initiatives.
According to him, the transformation of the Iddo Terminal is central to the corporation’s goal to significantly improve the terminal’s infrastructure, optimize its capacity and elevate the passenger experience
He also said the management would urgently embark on the rehabilitation of the coaches to improve the ambience of the interior of the trains and the Iddo stations for better customer experience and patronage.
Opeifa said he would not hesitate to terminate the contract of any contractor not willing or ready to add value to the corporation’s service.
The managing director, who spent some time going round the Iddo Station, also directed the installation of solar panels around the station to better improve the lightening condition, even as he sent the signal that a comprehensive review of all land leases around the station is underway.
Opeifa was nostalgic about the several interesting monuments and railway relics.

He called on corporate organisations and other philanthropists to support the corporation in the area of provision of conveniences for train passengers as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The Railway District Manager (RDM), Engr Augustine Arisa, and District Superintendent, Mrs Chidinma Mba, also informed the MD that the prosperity of the Idumota market is also related to the operations of the MTT line as any day the train does not run, the market feels it.
The NRC MD had earlier commenced his maiden tour of the NRC districts across the country, with a tour to the Running Shed of the corporation at Ebute Metta, which he learnt was a hub to other districts.
He expressed delight at the industry of ironmen (women engineers and technicians) working in the corporation who are competing with their male counterparts in ensuring that all the nation’s rolling assets are in serviceable conditions.
The tour took him to the store, where Opeifa directed that the management must commence the painting of several legacy buildings of the corporation across the country.

He added that the corporation was determined to improve its image as a frontline mobility service provider and the hub for logistics services in the country.
Opeifa who observed that there are no scraps in the railway, reiterated earlier calls on Nigerians to beware of anyone vandalizing the rail materials across the country, adding that security agencies especially the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been directed to prosecute anyone caught vandalizing any rail assets.
He said the corporation would put back to shape as many narrow gauge locomotives still serviceable and would deploy them across the country to serve passenger traffic anywhere the corporation had existing train lines just as the Federal Government would aggressively continue to invest and expand the national standard gauge corridor.
The tour also took the managing director to the Battery Room, as well as the laboratory, an inspection of all the mechanical fluids which was a crucial facility responsible for analyzing the quality and integrity of mechanical fluids used in NRC rail operations.
He assured the laboratory that the management under his watch would continue to support their growth and development as he himself trained and once worked as an analytical chemist.
The tour also took Opeifa to Agege Station where he had a closed door meeting with officials from the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), led by the Director Rail Services Engr Olasunkanmi Okusaga, on how to firm up security challenges between the two stations Babatunde Raji Fashola Station and the Lagos State Train Station at Agege Station.
Opeifa who was led round by the Agege Station Manager, Mrs Ese Asowata, went round to check the station’s conveniences, the VIP Lounge, the control room, the ticketing lounge and administrative sections among others.
The managing director took time to address the concerns of some train passengers, one of them, Olatunde Apata, who complained of what could be done for any passenger who missed his train. Apata, who was heading to the Prof. Wole Soyinka Station, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, had missed his train because he went to pray.
Addressing all challenges Opeifa directed that under no circumstances should the ticket not work to relief passengers with disability access the train.

He equally said efforts were being made to see how the issue of those missing their train would be addressed even as he disclosed that the NRC and LAMATA were working at how to ensure passengers could co-switch and access the metro train to continue their journey from the stations.