FG, oil marketers assure on easing fuel scarcity in days

The Federal Government and oil marketers on Monday evening assured that the present fuel scarcity across the country would ease in days.
This was the result of a meeting that lasted a few hours between Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, coordinating minister for the economy and minister of finance (on behalf of the government) and the fuel importers.
But it appears that the two parties are yet to agree on the conflicting outstanding debts to the importers.
The Federal Government on Sunday faulted the N200 billion claims by oil marketers as outstanding payment on subsidy, accusing them of making demands for huge sums in exchange and interest rate differentials that don’t align with its own calculations.
The Federal Government recently paid some N154 billion for oil marketers’ import claims -N100 billion of the principal payment owed them and then N56 billion interest rate and some remaining exchange rate differentials.
But Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) were still agitating that they were still being owed as much as N200 billion. Femi Olawore, spokesperson of MOMAN, confirmed after the meeting that two vessels were already loading in Lagos and that this was already helping ease the situation in Lagos. But it will take a little bit of time for normalcy to return in Abuja and other cities.
Addressing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Olawore admitted that there have been some issues about movement of fuel products to the retail outlets but following the release of the last payment, N154 billion, the truck owners have now agreed to allow their trucks to start loading.
“As we speak, they are loading and those of you that can contact your friends in Lagos, they will confirm that Lagos is getting better by the hour, because of the distance between Lagos and Abuja, it will take some time before Abuja gets to the normal position,” he stated, assuring on easing fuel scarcity.
“But in a couple of days, you will start seeing that Abuja will also have the relief that we normally know of, and like I said, it is a family issue and it has been resolved and we will continue to talk. We expect more fuel to start coming into Abuja because the drivers are now working.”