Oil marketers dismiss NNPC’s claim on availability of petrol

The former Chairman of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Tunji Oyebanji, said on Thursday the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has not taken possession of refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from importers.

Oyebanji, who spoke at the Institute of Change Management lecture in Lagos, faulted claims by NNPC Limited that it has fuel in its depots but has been unable to distribute to marketers across the state.

Fuel queues had resurfaced in Lagos and other parts of the country with filling stations selling the products for between N250 and N275 per litre.

Black market operators are also having a field day selling the products at exorbitant prices for consumers.

The NNPC had blamed road construction around Apapa port in Lagos for fuel scarcity across Nigeria.

The Chief Executive Officer of 11 Plc insisted that the fuel in question is still on the high sea and not in the NNPC tanks or depots.

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He said: “The issue is that the quantity of fuel available is one thing, the other thing is that where is the fuel?

“If you have fuel but it is on the high sea, and not in the tanks in the depots and petrol stations, then, you have a problem.

“The issue is not the quantity available offshore, but what is really available in everybody’s tank and petrol stations.

“So, we are working hard on the logistics to make it easier and quicker to make products get into our depots and stations, and by extension, they get delivered to the petrol stations. So, it is not about the figures or stock available.”

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