Long queues return to Abuja, Ibadan filling stations
…As diesel price hits N850 per litre
…Recurring fuel scarcity embarrassing, FG must address issue — Experts
Abimbola Abatta, Matthew Denis and Ariemu Ogaga
Barely a month after the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) warned of the possibility of the worst case of fuel scarcity in the country, long queues have returned to Abuja and Ibadan filling stations.
When our reporters monitored the development in Abuja and Ibadan, it was also gathered that diesel price has hit N850 per litre.
Nigerian NewsDirect recalls that last month, IPMAN had maintained that the scarcity could be averted if the government prevails on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to pay N500 billion bridging claims to its members.
The IPMAN Chairman, Kano state chapter, Bashir Danmalam, who hinted at the looming scarcity, explained that the lack of payment of the claims had pushed many of its members out of business and affected the industry due to the high cost of diesel.
Following the resurfacing of long queues, National President of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), Bennet Korie, cited the high cost of diesel for petroleum tankers bringing fuel filling stations as the reason for the scarcity in the nation’s capital city and some parts of the country.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the NOGASA president said except the situation is urgently addressed, the fuel scarcity would continue.
In reaction to the development, the Lead Strategist of Nigerian Workforce Strategy and Enlightenment Centre (NIWOSEC), Dr David Kayode Ehindero averred that the government must rise to the situation and prevent Nigerians from bearing the brunt of fuel scarcity.
“From what I’m seeing, I don’t think this is panic buying. I think there’s no fuel and whatever the reason might be, I don’t know, but the government needs to save us this time around because we don’t want to experience the suffering we had some months ago,” he said
According to him, the filling stations were hoarding the fuel because most fuel stations were shut against buyers.
He stressed, “I drove to town and the only fuel station that I saw selling was MRS opposite NNPC Tower. There was too long a queue there, that’s why I had to come down to this airport road.”
Dr. Ehindero suggested that the best thing to do now is to replace all the people handling the fuel issues with a new set of competent and diligent experts.
He said, “I don’t understand this country again and the government will not tell me that they are not aware of this situation that is happening at the energy sector.”
Also reacting to the development, the Managing Partner, BBH Consulting, Barr. Ameh Madaki, in a chat with Nigerian NewsDirect on Wednesday said the perennial problem of fuel scarcity is embarrassing.
Madaki further noted that the wasteful PMS subsidy should also be urgently addressed once and for all.
According to him, “The perennial problem of fuel scarcity in Nigeria is a huge embarrassment to the country and should be a major concern to the managers of the oil and gas industry.
“Setting up an effective supply chain for petroleum products is not rocket science, even when our local refineries are perpetually in the state of being turned around for as long as anyone can remember.
“Instead of the flimsy excuses we are always met with whenever the queues resurface, those responsible for the process must save us all the trouble by doing an honest job of this for once. And the knowledge to get this done is readily available.
“Instead of the current scenario which has become an embarrassing drainpipe, benefitting only a few people who are in the fuel importation cabal, the government can still achieve the objective of right pricing the entire products in the petroleum products value chain by applying subsidy more intelligently. That is not currently the case. If the right principles are properly applied, we can save the entire money currently wasted on subsidy without any negative impact on the pricing of the products at the pump.
“The big question is whether the ‘know it all’ managers of the industry will be prepared to open up their minds to new ideas and save this country’s economy from imminent collapse on a product that adds little value to the lives of majority of Nigerians on the streets,” he added.
Meanwhile, all efforts to reach the Group General Manager, Media and Publicity of NNPC, Garba Deen Muhammad, for reactions at the time of this report were abortive.
