…  call on security forces to deal with middlemen taking advantage of supply disruption to maximize profit

Oredola Adeola

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream and its counterpart on Midstream have assured the public that the fuel queue will vanish within three days, confirming the availability of 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s storage facilities, which would last for 30 days.

Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, Chairman, the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Hon. Odianosen Henry Okojie, House Committee Chairman on Midstream Petroleum stated this at a press conference on the sideline of the ongoing fuel scarcity across the country.

Hon. Ugochinyere in his remark stated that in the last few days, the downstream and midstream committees reached out to the stakeholders in the distribution value chain; the NNPCL, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to ascertain the cause of the resurgence of the fuel queues across the country.

He therefore expressed concerns over the temporary presence of fuel queues in petrol stations across the country which, according to him, has adversely affected the lives and businesses of Nigerians.

According to Ugochinyere, from investigations, they found out that there is availability of petrol products, at least, about 1.5 billion litres of petrol that can last for 30 days.

He noted that queues have resurfaced as a result of logistics issues ranging from difficulty in transporting products from the mother vessel to the respective petrol stations.

He also assured that the Committees have resolved that going forward and to avert the re-occurrence of this temporary challenge of distribution disruption, they shall work with the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution chain, towards finding a sustainable solution in ensuring that they do not run into such avoidable disruption soon, which can hamper economic activities.

Ugochinyere said, “It is so painful that Nigerians have been subjected to great hardship and pains as a result of the scarcity of petroleum products in the past few days.

“We hereby express our concerns over the temporary presence of fuel queues in petrol stations across the country. This has adversely affected the lives and businesses of Nigerians across the country.

” From our investigations, we have found out that there is availability of petrol products. We have on good authority that we have in our storage facilities, at least, about 1.5 billion litres of petrol that can last for 30 days.

” The logistic issues range from difficulty in transporting products from the mother vessel to the respective petrol stations. Movement of products from offshore marine vessels to the stations, disruption from Escravos channels.

” In the course of this public holiday, more grounds will be covered.

From our findings, the issues that necessitated the disruptions which led to the appearance of fuel queues in petrol stations have been cleared.

“Obviously, it will take a few days for things to return back to normalcy.

“Therefore, we call on Nigerians not to fret over this development. We have gotten assurances from the regulators and the unions that these will be cleared in the next two days.

“It will require more time, like two to three days, for products to be distributed to all stations nationwide.

“In line with our legislative duties of over-sighting the downstream and midstream petroleum sector, we have been in touch with the key stakeholders, the regulatory bodies and the transport unions, to ensure that the products get to our people timeously and without further delay.

“At this juncture, we strongly frown at the activities of middlemen who have taken advantage of the short disruption of supply, to maximize profit and generate inordinate gain for themselves, at the detriment of our people.

“We hereby call on security forces to support the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution chain, to ensure that acts of economic sabotage that has to do with hoarding, arbitrary increment in price, products diversion and smuggling are detected and dealt with.

“Our people have been through a lot in the last few days, and we must not plunge them into further pains. We appeal to all traders and those rendering services, not to unduly take advantage of this temporary challenge, which will be cleared in the next few days.

“We urge Nigerians not to engage in panic buying, nor be enmeshed in unnecessary rush to buy products. More products are arriving, and more products are on the high sea,” Hon. Ugochinyere confirmed this in a joint statement with his counterpart.

The House Committee Chairmen therefore emphasized that the Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has been very concerned in the last few days and has been actively overseeing the situation with the Committees.