As motorists still groan under fuel scarcity, NNPC says there is respite

Many  filling stations  across Nigeria are yet  to get  petriol supply  to  meet  the yearning  of their  customers  in their localities.

 Consequently, the  price  of  the product  in most  place  within the hinterland, where  the product  is available  for  sales, still   remains  far above  the  official  price of   N86.50.

 Many  of  the dealers claim they don’t get their supply  at  the  official  ex-depot  price of  N77  per  litre, therefore, the price ranges   from  N110  to N130   per litre.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the weekend stepped up measures designed to eliminate the challenges experienced by members of the public in accessing petrol across the country.

The NNPC, in a release, noted that the intervention mechanism, powered by the `Operation One Cargo per Day’ programme, had enabled the supply and distribution of petrol leading to the noticeable reduction in the length of fuel queues across the country, especially in Lagos and Abuja.

Under the `One Cargo per Day’ operation, which teed-off effective March 1, the Corporation takes delivery of one cargo of PMS everyday, which is the equivalent of 45 million litres for onward distribution to fuel stations across the country in a labyrinth of massive motorised movement involving over 2000 fuel trucks daily.

The NNPC noted that despite the challenges, which are exacerbated by the inability of the refineries to function optimally owing to unrestrained attacks on vital crude supply lines, constant assault on the Arepo axis of the system 2B pipeline network, strikes at various agencies in Lagos, inability of major marketers to import fuel over a long time due to fiscal challenges and gaps from expected but undelivered volumes from the Majors, the Corporation was working to restore sanity to the fuel supply and distribution matrix.

‘’We have filled the gap and provided a 30-day buffer arrangement. We once again apologise to Nigerians for the inconveniences, as we work assiduously to avoid repeat of this distressing situation,’’ the Corporation said.