Fuel scarcity bites harder as NNPC rations supply to depots

Fuel scarcity bites harder as NNPC rations supply to depots

Fuel scarcity which resurfaced in major cities across the country early in the week has become more intense with long queues of vehicles at few filling stations selling petrol to motorists.

This, Newstrends learnt on Thursday, came as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, sole importer of petrol, had resorted to rationing the product to depots.

Petroleum product marketers also claimed that the depots had limited supply.

Chinedu Uzordike, a member of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), was quoted in a report by BusinessDay as saying that most independent stations were unable to get products from the depots.

He said, “We have been finding it very difficult to pick products from NNPC in the past two days and that is why you are seeing the skeletal scarcity.

“The important point here is that despite the deregulation, NNPC is still the sole importer of the PMS and no other depot is importing.”

Meanwhile, as the situation worsens, many in search of fuel have had to go a long distance and spend quality time at filling stations to get the product.

It is lamentations from motorists and others using petrol across the cities of Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.

People have expressed worry that even when they struggle to pay more than the 200 per cent increase for the product since the last hike last year, they still have to face products scarcity.

John Akpe, a motorist said, “There is no justification whatsoever for this trouble our leaders are putting us through.

“They removed fuel subsidy and raised the price from N165 per litre to N568 and N600+ per litre and we still struggle to get the product. Who are those in charge of this thing that keeps manipulating the system?”