Fuel scarcity in Abuja, other areas caused by inadequate supply — IPMAN

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has blamed inadequate supply of petrol from the depots in Lagos for the scarcity being experienced in Abuja and other parts of the country.

IPMAN President, Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, made this known in an interview with the journalists on Monday in Lagos.

Okoronkwo spoke against the backdrop of resurfacing of fuel queues in some parts of the country, especially in Abuja.

He said that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine had disrupted the smooth distribution of petrol, also known as, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

According to him, marketers and transporters are now finding it difficult to bridge products to other parts of the country from the depots.

He said, “The huge amount spent in running the diesel trucks to transport fuel is very discouraging because we are running at a loss.

“The current N165 per litre pump price for PMS cannot fit in into the present realities without the pricing template being reviewed.

“We appeal to the government to look into the situation by either reviewing the freight rate or providing palliatives to all marketers to restore normalcy to distribution.

“The palliative can be making diesel accessible for marketers at discounted rates so that we can easily transport products across the country.”

Okoronkwo commended the government for the bridging claims paid so far to marketers, adding that efforts should be made to clear the outstanding amounts.