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Fuel Scarcity: Marketers blame supply hitch as queues resurface in Lagos, Ogun

Published

3 weeks ago

April 6, 2024

Fuel Scarcity: Marketers blame supply hitch as queues resurface in Lagos, Ogun

Petroleum marketers say the non-availability of Premium Motor Spirit in filling stations located in Lagos and Ogun states is as a result of shortage in supply.

Similarly, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited confirmed that there were no products in its Apapa depots.

The long queues resurfaced in filling stations across the two states on Friday, creating fear of impending fuel scarcity.

Our correspondents, who went round some parts of Lagos and Ogun states, reported that the queues of desperate motorists in some of the filling stations affected the free flow of traffic.

At the Oando filling station in Alapere, Lagos, commuters were held in traffic as motorists struggled to buy fuel. The station stopped dispensing fuel later in the day.

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There were long queues at the Conoil filling station, while the TotalEnergies station in the same area was not dispensing fuel to customers.

It was observed that many stations did not dispense fuel and this increased the pressure on the few ones where the product was available.

The NNPC station at Fadeyi did not sell petrol as of noon on Friday, while the NIPCO station recorded a long queue of vehicles waiting to get Premium Motor Spirit.

There were also long queues of motorists at the AP filling station in Onipanu.

The Mobil filling stations at Palmgrove, Alausa and Mile 2 areas of the state did not open for business.

The Enyo filling station at Ojodu junction had long queues when one of our correspondents got there.

It was the same scenario at Eterna filling station at Oworonshoki, Northwest in Oju-Elegba, TotalEnergies and MRS in Surulere.

The NNPC, Mobil, TAS, NIPCO, Enyo, As-Salam and other filling stations along the Mowe-Ibafo route in Ogun State did not sell petrol too.

Similarly, the Capital and Enyo filling stations at Berger did not sell PMS as at the time of filing this report.

The Rain Oil and NNPC stations in Ibafo, Asese and Mowe areas had long queues of motorists, while other stations along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were shut.

The situation affected the number of commercial vehicles on the roads.

At Mile 2, some young men engaged in the sale of the product in jerrycans at N800 per litre.

Commercial motorcyclists, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH, said they had been buying from the black marketers since Wednesday.

A customer on the Ikotun Idimu Road in Lagos, who gave his name as Mr Ejiogbu, said, “I just noticed there are long queues in filling stations around here and I don’t know why it is only the NNPC station that is dispensing fuel in the area.

“I started noticing the scarcity and queues everywhere two days ago and I don’t know why.”

It was observed that the scarcity has started affecting transport fares.

A trader, Mrs Ada Herbert, said, “Ikotun to Cele Express used to be between N400 and N500, but today, drivers pegged it at N600; I don’t know if it was as a result of the fuel scarcity.”

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At the Mobil filling station at First Gate along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, there was a short queue of motorists waiting to buy fuel in jerrycans.

One of the fuel attendants said the station managed to get fuel after three days of no supply.

“They just came to supply fuel for us now. We didn’t have fuel for over three days. I don’t know why they didn’t bring it earlier. What matters is that we have fuel to sell now,” the attendant, who declined to give his name, said.

Motorists also queued up to buy fuel at the Mobil station at Alakija, where PMS was sold fuel for N605 per litre.

The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, had said on Monday that there was a little hiccup in the distribution of the product and expressed optimism that normalcy would be restored after the Easter break.

Fashola stated, “Yes, I think there was a little infraction in supply. The Easter holidays from Friday to Monday also added to the situation. I think from Wednesday it will ease off.

“There was little problem with supply even before the holidays. There was a little hiccup in supply, and the holiday added to it. I am sure will start getting better after the holidays.”

However, the situation seems to be getting worse four days after the Easter break.

NNPC, marketers speak
The spokesperson for the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, in a message on Friday, confirmed that there were queues at NNPCL stations, saying there were no products at the company’s Apapa depots.

According to him, the NNPCL has carried out a review and there is no sign of scarcity in Lagos.

Soneye stated, “There were no products at our Apapa depots. We have carried out a review and there was no sign of scarcity in Lagos.

“It is only the NNPC Retail stations that have queues due to our price differential.”

However, the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria differed with the NNPCL as it confirmed queues at its filling stations.

The Executive Secretary of MEMAN, Clement Isong, said there was low stock over the Easter weekend for some of the members, adding that this resulted from truck out to supply stations without replenishment at its depots.

Isong said this led to outages in some retail outlets during the past week.

However, he stated that the depots were currently receiving PMS supplies from the NNPC Trading and would continue to do so throughout the weekend.

Isong said, “Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the recent concerns about fuel scarcity. We understand the importance of addressing these issues promptly and transparently to provide clarity to the public.

Fuel Scarcity: Marketers blame supply hitch as queues resurface in Lagos, Ogun

-PUNCH

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FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon

Published

3 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon

The federal government has announced plans to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad and Cameroon over the next two months. The plan involves bringing back 6,000 individuals from Chad and 14,000 from Cameroon.

As of December 31, 2023, there were 21,338 Nigerian refugees in Chad and 120,677 in Cameroon. In the previous year, the federal government successfully repatriated 5,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon to Banki in Borno State. In preparation for the return of the refugees, the federal government procured food and non-food items worth N2 billion in 2023.

The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, disclosed this information at a Technical Working Group meeting in Abuja. The refugees were displaced due to various factors, including the 2022 flood, the Boko Haram crisis, clashes between farmers and herders, and the ongoing challenges posed by climate change.

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Ahmed said: “In the year 2023, the commission spearheaded the repatriation of 5,000 people living in Cameroon to the country.

“We are also arranging to bring back those who are interested in returning because repatriation is voluntary and an agreement has been signed between UNHCR, the government of Cameroon and the federal government of Nigeria in the area of repatriation of our people from Cameroon.

“We are going to work towards the repatriation of 6,000 Nigerians out of about 21,000 of them in Chad.

“We are looking at returning 3000 households from Chad, which is about 6,000 people would be repatriated from Chad to Nigeria. For Cameroon, we have about 14,000 people but we will profile them because we don’t have to force anybody to return. Arrangements are underway to get them back. Within the next two months, we should have concluded the arrangement on repatriation.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Deputy Representative (Protection), Bernadette Muteshi commended the federal government for taking the lead in the repatriation exercise.

FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon

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Amid fuel scarcity, petrol marketers threaten to withdraw services over ₦200bn debt

Published

6 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

Amid fuel scarcity, petrol marketers threaten to withdraw services over ₦200bn debt

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has asked the Federal Government to pay ₦200bn the association is owed or the nation will face devastating socio-economic consequences.

The association threatened to withdraw its services, hence impeding the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, over non-payment of the ₦200bn bridging claims.

IPMAN’s threat comes amid the worsening nationwide petrol scarcity which has seen prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, surge to between N610 and N800 at the pump, and between N1000 and N1200 at black market.

The association’s position was contained in communique released by the association’s Unit Chairman and Spokesperson, Aba Depot, Mazi Oliver Okolo after a press conference on Tuesday.

Okolo who handed down the threat said the IPMAN’s national leadership is wholly in support of the tough stance.

He claimed that the debt is being owed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NMDPRA).

In the communique, Okolo said NMDPRA refused to pay the ₦200bn debt despite a directive for payment from the Petroleum Minister (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri.

The IPMAN deport Chairman disclosed that since the directive by the minister in February 2024, only ₦13bn had been paid to their members, saying that the unpaid claim had crippled their businesses.

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“We are extremely distressed and depressed by the laidback attitude of the leadership of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), towards the survival of our member’s businesses, arising from NMDPRA’s deliberate delay and refusal to offset the debt of over N200 Billion owed our members, which has consequently led to the deaths of many of our members and the unfortunate collapse of their businesses.”

He blamed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the sole importer of petroleum products, for the current nationwide petrol scarcity, adding that some of its members have “completely” shut down their businesses, and retrenched their employees.

“We have watched with apprehension also, the unpatriotic attitude of the leadership of the NMDPRA to offset this debt that has been accrued to us since September 2022. As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running daily across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, to serve the teeming population of Nigerians. However, it is demoralising to know that many of our members have gone bankrupt and have become financially insolvent as a result of their inability to meet their financial obligations to their banks, arising wholly from their inability to get their monies from the NMDPRA. Consequently, also, the banks have taken over the business premises of many of our members. As indigenous organisations, and Depot Chairmen, we are unhappy that rather than receive support from the government to boost our businesses, we are being discouraged, by the head
of NMDPRA.

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“It is noteworthy to recall and state here that at a stakeholders meeting held on the 20th of February, 2024 with Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), and the NSA Nuhu Ribadu, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Authority of NMDPRA, was mandated by Mr. Heinehken Lokpobiri to clear the entire debt in 40 days. However today, we have crossed the 40 days time-lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13Billion has been paid, thus going the
whole length to ignore our plight without remorse and without recourse to the Honourable Minister’s directive,” according to the statement.

Okolo also claimed that the NNPC Ltd imports the products, and supplies to private depots who then sell to them at exorbitant prices of between ₦820 and ₦950 per litre, adding that IPMAN members pay an extra ₦2m to transport it to other parts of the country, making it difficult for them to sell to Nigerians at the agreed pump price.

The IPMAN members called on President Bola Tinubu, to closely look into the matter, which according to them, is highly detrimental to their businesses and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses thereafter.

“We see no reason why there should be an increment of over 500% on the Sales and Storage License by the NMDPRA. We totally reject it. We also hereby call on the federal government of Nigeria to wholly intervene forthwith in these lingering issues between the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

“We are poised to take far-reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria, if our demands are not met within the shortest period,” the group said.

Amid fuel scarcity, petrol marketers threaten to withdraw services over ₦200bn debt

News

Navy rescues 250 passengers onboard capsized Rivers boat

Published

6 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

Navy rescues 250 passengers onboard capsized Rivers boat

The Nigerian Navy rescued over 250 passengers from a capsized boat in Rivers State.

The three-deck wooden boat, identified as MV PRECIOUS EMMANUEL, departed from a local market in the Sangana area of Bayelsa State at around 10 pm on April 28, 2024.

According to Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, the Navy’s Director of Information, the boat encountered stormy waters and collided with a rock while approaching Rivers State.

The boat, locally known as a “Large Cotonou Boat,” was overloaded and lacked lifesaving equipment, with none of the passengers wearing life jackets.

The prompt response of the naval personnel ensured no lives were lost in the incident.

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The statement read, “The Nigerian Navy personnel of Naval Security Station 023 deployed along Cawthorne Channel in Rivers State rescued over 250 passengers who were onboard a capsized passenger boat at about 10 pm local time on 28 April 2024.

“The ill-fated boat, MV PRECIOUS EMMANUEL cast off from a local market in Sangana area of Bayelsa State and was making way to Rivers State when it encountered stormy waters and hit a wreck which damaged its hull causing it to capsize.”

Adams-Aliu noted that the boat was overloaded, lacked any life-saving equipment onboard, and none of its passengers were wearing life jackets

He said, “Notably, the locally made, three-deck wooden vessel popularly known as “Large Cotonou Boat” was overborne, had no lifesaving equipment onboard and none of its passengers wore a lifejacket. ”

He noted that no lives were lost in the incident due to the prompt response of its personnel.