- As Normalcy Return To Abuja
By Nse Anthony-Uko
(Sundiata Post) — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured residents of Abuja of sufficient supply of petroleum product as the long queues that prevailed earlier in the week began to subside. The assurance came as the joint monitoring team comprising of NNPC, PPMC, DPR and PPPRA went around the city on Wednesday to observe the situation.
Selected filling stations across the metropolis visited were seen actively selling products to customers even as managers of the stations confirmed delivery of trucks loaded with premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol and sufficiency of products that can last them for some days.
At the Oando Filling Station in Mabushi area, the station manager, Mr. Emmanuel Ebhoh said his station has just taken delivery of a truck loaded with 40,000litres of PMS adding that about 20,000litres has been sold. He however, assured that another truck will make delivery before the close of the day.
“The situation has improve, as you can see there are no long queues again and we are diligently selling what we have to our esteem customers,” he said.
Similar situation was observed at Total Filling Station in Wusa Zone 3, where the station manager, Mr. Mohammado Mustepha said he has just taken delivery of a 40,000litre truck. An independent marketer, A Y M Shafa Filling Station in Apo equally confirmed that the situation has improved as the station now has enough products to sell to customers.
The A Y M Shafa station manager, Abdullahi Sambo said they have over 200,000 litres of PMS in stock and assured that the station will be open to serve customer until 10 pm before closing. He however, blamed the security situation in the area for their inability to open for 24 hours.
Addressing journalist after at the end of the tour, Managing Director, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) Umar Ajiya attributed the restoration of normalcy to the of hard work and collaborative efforts between of the surveillance and monitoring team put together by the group managing director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru.
In addition to the collaboration, we have also massively increase supply to marketers,” he stated. According to him over 2,000 trucks now load products in major cities across the country from depots to filling stations.
“It is also important to say that the monitoring team has the mandate of the corporation discipline any depot or filling station caught hoarding fuel such product will be sold to Nigerians free,” he stated
On his part, Dr. Babatunde Adeniren, the chief operating officer, NNPC Venture who also doubles as the chairman of the surveillance and monitoring team, said the corporation has put in place a robust program that will ensure that queues never surface again.
“We have a robust supply plan, every day a minimum of one ship carrying petroleum products come into the country and sometimes we have two, we assure you that will be the situation until the end of year. We will continues at this rate until this problem is over, one ship is about 50million litres and the average consumption in Nigeria today is about 35million litres,” he stated.
On the allegations that Depot owners are selling products above approved price, he said, DPR and security agencies have been deployed to carry out investigations and assured that any depot owner cut selling wanting will be appropriately dealt with.
