Fuel Scarcity: Nigerians Are Being Deceived – Marketers Reveal
There are uncertainties about the availability of petrol, as most depots are without stock, while marketers have reportedly not been importing due to scarcity of foreign exchange.
According to a major marketer, who chose to remain anonymous, “we cannot be talking about stock level because there is no stock at all. No depot has up to 5,000 metric tonnes of petrol, which is about 200 trucks. Once there is supply, it is distributed immediately.”
This was corroborated by sources at Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, who told Vanguard
that the nation cannot boast of any stock level now, as products are sent to states the moment they are imported.
However, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, stated that 1,120 truckloads, comprising 36.957 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS (petrol) had been distributed across the country.
DPR threatens sanctions
This was even as DPR read the riot act to petroleum products marketers across the country, warning that it would deal severely with any marketer found sabotaging efforts by Federal Government to address the fuel crisis currently witnessed across the country.
The DPR, in a statement by its Director, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Ladan, maintained that marketers must ensure that petroleum products get across to Nigerians timely and at the regulated prices, especially as every effort is being made to ensure that petroleum products supply and distribution situation in the country is normalised.
According to him, the security agencies in collaboration with DPR will arrest and prosecute any errant marketer involved in sabotaging government’s commitment at making petroleum products readily available to Nigerians.
On the supply situation across the country, NNPC said six NNPC and marketers vessels are currently discharging at various depots/jetties nationwide, while seven NNPC import/shuttle vessels had been programmed to do Ship-to-Ship operation for onward discharge to inland depots.
Wednesday’s distribution
NNPC also stated that 20 import vessels laden with a total volume of 830.1 million litres had arrived in the month of April for NNPC.
Giving a breakdown of trucks dispatched to selected states on Wednesday, NNPC said 405 truckloads of petrol were dispatched to Lagos; 130 trucks, Abuja; Kano, 13; Port Harcourt, 54 and Kaduna, 21.
Anambra and Ondo received 13 trucks each, while Sokoto, Borno, Katsina, Plateau and Kogi received nine, six, 15, seven and 17 trucks, respectively.
Others are Ogun, 53; Kebbi, 34; Bauchi, 18; Delta, 34; Bayelsa, nine and Benue, 11.
NNPC had also stated that it had 17 days sufficiency, up from three to four days in March at the peak of petrol shortage.
We don't have products —Marketer
Meanwhile, when Vanguard visited depots at Apapa, there were little or no activities, as they complained of depleted stock.
A depot marketer, who spoke to
Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “Nigerians are being conned to believe scarcity will disappear. How is this possible when we have less to sell to marketers?
“How is it that NNPC distributes about 36.957 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and yet we are still left with nothing at the depots? The mystery is far from our grasp.
“However, what we were asked to do is to help government with our trucks to ease the dispatching of petroleum product across the country.
“For now, we are practically out of business because there is no Forex to import and until there is Forex, we are practically rendered handicap.
“We are supposed to provide the balance of the 40 percent component, while NNPC handles 60 percent, but that will only end up becoming a dream due to Forex challenges.”
Source: Vanguard
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