Fuel scarcity: Nigerians are being deceived – Marketers reveal whats really going on
– Fuel depots in Nigeria are reportedly out of stock
– Depot marketers said Nigerians are being deceived to believe scarcity will disappear
– Department of Petroleum Resources said it would deal with any marketer found sabotaging efforts by federal government to solve the fuel crisis
– NNPC said 1,120 truckloads, comprising 36.957 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, had been distributed across the country
There are indications that the fuel scarcity may linger as most depots are reportedly without stock, while marketers have not been importing due to scarcity of foreign exchange.
A major marketer who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said: “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.”
Motorists queue for fuel at NNPC petrol station
Marketers at the Apapa depots complained of depleted stock.
According to one of the depot marketers, Nigerians are being deceived 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 marketer queried.
READ ALSO: 1,194 trucks of petrol distributed nationwide, see breakdown
The marketer said they are practically out of business because there is no Forex to import and until there is Forex, they are practically rendered handicap.
Also, sources at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said the nation cannot boast of any stock level now, as products are sent to states the moment they are imported.
The DPR has warned that it would deal severely with any marketer found sabotaging efforts by federal government to address the current fuel crisis and make petroleum products readily available to Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Thursday, April 21, said 1,120 truckloads, comprising 36.957 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS (petrol) had been distributed across the country.
Report has it that 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.
READ ALSO: Fuel crisis: Man who hoards fuel causes inferno in Lagos
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.
Nigerians have been getting promises from the federal government that the fuel scarcity would be over soon but the situation is unfortunately far from over as there are still fuel queues.
Ibe Kachikwu, the state petroleum resources minister on Wednesday, promised that the fuel queues will completely disappear by the end of next week.
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