We have enough petrol on ground – IPMAN

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), on Thursday said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC)/Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) have enough petrol on ground.

IPMAN said there are over 20 vessels of ships fully loaded with petrol on ground waiting to be discharged in Lagos.

IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, stated this in a telephone interview with our reporter in Abuja, while reacting to the current fuel scarcity and long queues of vehicles at filling stations in Abuja.

Yakubu said that the cause of the scarcity was flood which affected Lokoja bridge thereby hindering trucks from passing to their various destinations.

He said that the fuel scarcity was not an intentional act but was caused by a natural disaster, adding that government is doing all it can to solve the problem.

“The flood has reduced now, and the trucks are gradually passing, we need to be patient till it normalises which usually takes a few days.

It was reported that some retail outlets around Maitama, Wuse, Gwarimpa, Wuye and Kubwa Expressway were selling fuel with long queues of vehicles.

A motorist, Mr Eze Aku, who spoke to our reporter, said that black marketers are now selling at N350 per litre.

“The government should try and arrest those black marketers, they are part of the reasons why the scarcity will continue for their selfish reasons,” Aku said.

Another motorist, Adelabu Ige, urged relevant authority to compel fuel stations with the product to sell with all their pumping machine nozzles.

“It is unfortunate that some of the fuel stations that have fuel will decide to be selling with just two or few nozzles anytime there is fuel scarcity.

“This is part of the reasons we have long queues in most fueling stations, making motorists to spend hours on queue just to buy fuel.

“This is unjust and unfair to fellow Nigerians who are already over stretched by the current economy situation,” Ige said.