Connect with us

News

Oil marketers say govt behind fuel scarcity, as queues return to filling stations

Published

on

Oil marketers have blamed the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) for the lingering fuel scarcity in Lagos, Abuja and some part of Nigeria, after queues resurfaced at filling station.

The marketers under the umbrella of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) told NAN on Friday that PPMC has been unable to supply products to the Ejigbo depot.

IPMAN Secretary for Lagos Satellite Depot Ejigbo, Akeem Balogun, said the oil marketers depend on the shipments in order to buy at an affordable rate that would enable them maintain the pump price at N165 per litre.

Recall that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had warned the oil marketers against taking advantage of the scarcity by raising fuel price.

Read also:Another fuel scarcity looms, as oil marketers demand payment of N5bn debt

PPMC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had began monitoring sales of fuel at retail station, threatening to revoke the license of firms caught selling above the government-agreed price.

Balogun said the oil marketers are still waiting for PPMC, which is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). This is one week after the government said it had began distribution of fuel in Lagos, and plans to send to Abuja as well.

“We are still waiting for the PPMC to supply products to our depot so that we can buy at the controlled price and can also sell at N165 per litre at our retail outlets”, Balogun said.

The alternative for the oil marketers is to buy from private depot owners, but fuel is sold at the rate of N162 per litrex against the N148.17 per litre the government sells to them – this will force the retail stations to increase pump price above government-agreed cost of N165 per litre.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now