NNPC And Marketers Engage In Blame Game As Fuel Scarcity Persists In Nigeria

NNPC And Marketers Engage In Blame Game As Fuel Scarcity Persists In Nigeria

Despite assurances from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) of adequate fuel stocks, fuel scarcity persists in Nigeria, nearly one year after the removal of subsidies. The NNPC attributes the lingering queues at filling stations to panic buying and exploitative practices by some petroleum marketers……READ ALSO SERAP Sues NNPCL Over Failure To Account For ‘Missing $2.04bn, N164bn Oil Revenues’

In a press briefing, NNPC spokesperson Femi Soneye stated that the corporation possesses over 1.5 billion litres of petroleum, enough to last at least 30 days. However, he pointed fingers at marketers, accusing them of hoarding and exacerbating the situation.

In response, petroleum marketers, represented by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), refute these claims, asserting that the core issue is an insufficient supply of fuel, not their business practices. IPMAN’s National Vice President, Hammed Fashola, emphasized the impossibility of hoarding a product that is in short supply.

Despite the arrival of fuel shipments, distribution challenges persist, according to the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria. Ayo Cardoso of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority assured ongoing efforts to distribute petroleum motor spirit (PMS) across the country.

As the blame game continues, Nigerians bear the brunt of fuel scarcity, experiencing heightened hardship. Calls for stringent measures against hoarding and profiteering have emerged, with the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources urging security agencies to intervene.

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