Oil marketers stated on Thursday that the reason behind the long queues at petrol filling stations in Abuja and neighbouring Nasarawa and Niger States is the insufficient supply of Premium Motor Spirit by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited.

The NNPCL, which is the sole importer of the product, refuted the oil marketers’ claim, attributing the queues in the affected areas, particularly Abuja, to “price war”.

The queues for petrol at filling stations in Abuja and its neighbouring states in particular, as well as some South-East and South-South states, have persisted in the past few weeks.

“The queues have continued because there is an insufficient supply of products. If we have enough products, it will bring down these acts of profiteering among marketers,” the National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, told our correspondent.


He added, “It is when the products become very difficult to access that is when you start to see cases of profiteering. But if everywhere is littered with products, you won’t experience what we are seeing now.

“In Port Harcourt, for instance, our tickets have been tied down. For the past three weeks, we have not been able to load products, leading to queues at the few stations that have products. But the government, which is actually represented in this business by NNPCL, keeps saying that it is expecting stock.”

Ukadike noted that though NNPCL had promised to discharge some vessels of PMS at Warri, Lagos and Calabar soon, the products had yet to arrive.

This, according to the IPMAN official, was among the reasons private depot owners had raised the cost of their products, leading to the hike in the pump prices of petrol at retail outlets.

“We heard that there is a vessel that is coming to Calabar to discharge, so Port Harcourt and other states in the region are still expecting it. Also, we heard that another vessel is going to discharge in Lagos. Warri is also expecting a vessel.

“So, with the few depots that have petroleum products now, you will know that there will be serious profiteering and scrambling for PMS. It is, therefore, important for NNPCL vessels to come in with products, particularly as we approach the Yuletide.

“But they (NNPCL) have assured us that there will be enough products during the Christmas period,” Ukadike stated, but stressed that the fuel importer did not inform marketers when the expected PMS vessels would arrive.

The oil marketer further stated that the cost of PMS in most states outside Lagos and the South-West was about N650/litre, describing the average price of N640/litre in Abuja is cheap.

“The N640/litre price in Abuja is cheap when compared to the N660/litre average price in the South-East. In fact, in Owerri, Imo State, it is N670 and in Anambra it is N700/litre. So, those of you in Abuja are lucky.

“Do you know that it is getting close to N800/litre in remote areas in the far North? This is based on reports we receive from our members. That is the situation. There is insufficient supply of products and this often leads to profiteering.”

Also speaking on the issue, the Secretary of IPMAN, Abuja-Suleja, Mohammed Shuaibu, stated that though the queues being experienced in some states were due to low supply volumes from NNPCL, it could also be attributed to the forthcoming festive season.

“Yes, products are not as readily available as before, which is why many retail stations are not dispensing nowadays. However, you should know that during the festive period towards the end of the year, we always experience queues.

“This is why the government should intervene now by flooding the country with products so that those who want to catch-in on the season to profiteer would not be able to do so,” Shuaibu stated.

However, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, told our correspondent that the position of oil marketers as regards the re-emergence of fuel queues was not true.

“That is not true. The recent tightness in Abuja is essentially a price war, which is typical of any competitive market. Motorists would rather queue at filling stations that offer lower prices than others.

“While NNPC retail is selling at N613/litre in Abuja, other marketers’ prices range from N625-N650/litre,” Soneye stated.

Meanwhile, it was observed that while the queues at NNPCL stations were longer, similar scenarios played out in Conoil and Total filling stations opposite the Abuja headquarters of NNPCL, and other outlets across the capital city and its neighbouring states.

Source: https://punchng.com/Fuel-scarcity-Marketers-blame-low-supply-NNPC-disagrees

Wahala

Prices of petroleum products at NNPC stations in some parts of Lagos as at 16th Nov
One litre of petrol: 598
One litre of Kerosene:790
One litre of Diesel: 1250
Isn't it obvious that government is heavily subsidizing petrol as at today
I have said before that the President needs to sack everyone in the NNPCL from the gateman to the GMD,just like he did in the Central Bank
The level of corruption in that place will make those in Central Bank look like saints
How difficult is it to refine locally,it seems they are hell bent on importation of fuel so that they can continue feasting on the nation
Let this government take the bull by the horn and privatize one or two of this moribund refineries,work with Dangote Refinery to start production,it will surprise you that these people at NNPCL will sit up
No good can come out of the present crop of people at NNPCL because they are part of the problem and they can never be part of the solution

its always one drama or the other in nayigeerear

Mele kyari is a joke

Hehehe.

And the blame games continue .

A country that her leaders will never take responsibility,but will enjoy all the benefits that comes from such office.

No be me,na Ojo.Na lie na Eze. Make I no hear my name oh na Musa and at the end nobody takes responsibility. The problem will continue to linger.

It's always nobody's fault in Nigeria, shameless people.

Government that does not want tbe fault to be dropped on her table but failed to do the needful.
Shame

You people are busy playing politics here when the masses are neck deep in suffering. It will NEVER be well with all of you that brought Nigeria to this point

Nigeria my country

Hmmm
Recycled problems

Fire him wallahi

ayodaisi:
Mele kyari is a joke

I

You see this country Nigeria? Forget it, otilo it's long gone e no fit better again. My problem be say my grandfather no join politics.

It is well

U remove fuel subsidy.... Scarcity still come dey again.... Haba

Blame shifting continues......

#700 in Wike state

May God 🙏 help us all in this APC government.

When will Africa start refining

No good thing can come from APC.

Another useless people

NNPC and their evil ways.
I don't trust them at all.
They are one of the biggest problem of our dear Nation

sukkot:
its always one drama or the other in nayigeerear

The greed of those Oil markets & NNPCL people is phenomenal.

ayodaisi:
Mele kyari is a joke

Until Kyari is removed, nothing good can come out ot NNPC and it's Affiliates! Corruption has finished that Dept.
By the way,why should NNPC be the only Entity Importing Fuel into Nigeria!
-President Tinubu - what is the Situation Reports on the Nigeria Refineries now and how much have you Saved ,after the removal of Subsidies? We should be Transparent on what Nigeria is earnings and what is being Spent!
- We hope the deadlines agree with the Masses and Union Leaders are intact!
We want a better Nigeria, devoid of ' we want to do' be translated to ' this is Our Reports'
God bless Nigeria!

Even when no subsidy again, marketers want to force scarcity of the product.
We all are evil people..