Fuel queues return to Lagos amid supply hiccups

After over a year of relief from fuel insufficiency within the country, filling stations in some parts of Lagos experienced queues on Monday, while some refused to sell Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, to motorists.

The pockets of fuel queues in Lagos emerged few days when the independent petroleum Markers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, accused the Nigerian National petroleum Corporation of under-supplying its members with fuel.

IPMAN had said last week that its members in Lagos and parts of Ogun State might be forced to shut their filling stations by December 11 if things persisted.

A source, who is an executive of a Lagos-based oil marketing company, told our correspondent, “This is the second week in which supply has not been very strong.
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“The rationing started the previous week. The NNPC has been the major provider and there have been distribution dislocations since the Apapa jetty got burnt, making it tough for major oil marketers to induce products; they need to be doing turnout with alternative firms, as a result of they can’t receive merchandise through that line till the repair is completed.”

Noting that demand for fuel had exaggerated thanks to the approaching season, he same depot costs had gone up.

“So several depots square measure commerce on top of the suggested value of N133 per litre; it’s averaging between N140 and N142.5. after you grasp you’ve got ten million litres and you recognize folks create payment of concerning twenty million litres on a everyday, mechanically you’ll begin to ration and within the method of allotment, there’ll be such a large amount of hidden charges,” the official expressed.

The cluster manager, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, whereas reacting to the allegation by IPMAN last Thursday at the inauguration of the NNPC mega station in Sagamu, had noted that the corporation was importation concerning one hundred per cent of the rock oil merchandise within the country, speech there have been decent merchandise.

He said, “We distribute at the ex-depot value of N133 per metric capacity unit; therefore there’s no reason why anybody ought to sell on top of N145 per litre. therefore if some folks square measure fooling around, i will be able to leave it for the relevant restrictive authorities, the DPR and therefore the PPPRA to require care of. As for IPMAN, i need to advise that this can be not the route to travel.

“They grasp what it suggests that to travel on strike; to deprive folks of merchandise are going to be the saddest factor that may happen as a result of I actually have decent merchandise and that i am commerce among the PPPRA value model.”

IPMAN had notably complained of shortage of product equipped to the Ejigbo satellite depot, which, it same was serving over 900 filling stations in port.

The association alleged that the NNPC wasn’t solely under-supplying its members with the PMS, however was conjointly frustrating them by reneging on the majority contract it signed with its members to provide the merchandise to them at N133.28k per metric capacity unit.

It same with the under-supply from the NNPC, its members were being forced to approach the Depot and rock oil Marketers Association, that was allegedly shopping for at N117 per metric capacity unit from the NNPC and reselling to IPMAN members at N141 per metric capacity unit.

It side that at that rate, it had become impractical for them to still sell to the tip users at the regulated value of N145 and still expect to interrupt even in business.

Meanwhile, the NNPC on Mon expressed that there was no arrange to increase the costs of rock oil merchandise each at the ex-depot level and therefore the pumps earlier than the forthcoming season.

It insisted that the ex-depot value of N133.38 per metric capacity unit and therefore the pump value of N143/N145 per metric capacity unit of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called fuel, had not modified, adding that it had enough stock to confirm seamless offer and distribution of merchandise across the country.

The corporation urged motorists associated alternative users of rock oil merchandise to disregard rumours of an imminent fuel value hike on some on-line news platforms.

The NNPC said it had the total commitment of all downstream stakeholders, as well as rock oil marketers and trade unions, to collaborate in achieving zero fuel deficiency this season and on the far side.

It side that motorists mustn’t have interaction in panic shopping for or like the harmful follow of stocking rock oil merchandise in Boche cans reception.

The corporation same its downstream subsidiary corporations, rock oil merchandise selling Company and therefore the NNPC Retail restricted, were absolutely set to confirm that motorists relish uninterrupted access to fuel throughout the season across the country.