Motorists in Lagos, Abuja battle fuel scarcity

….Retail outlets raise fuel price in Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti

….IPMAN blames private depots for hike in price

…Operational, logistics challenges responsible for scarcity – MOMAN

….There is enough supply – NMDPRA

….Situation to stabilise in two days – official sources

….Nigerians groan as price risk stabilising above N200

…NNPC keeps mum

By Seun Ibiyemi, Idris Bakare, Ibiyemi Mathew, Gbenga Olasehinde (Abuja), Ismail Azeez, Osogbo, and Taiwo Bankola, Abeokuta

Another fuel scarcity which surfaced on Tuesday left residents of Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with inconvenience over long queues in filling stations.

While there were flashes of rising indications of scarcity in other States, long queues with hike in price emerged in Lagos and Abuja as motorists struggle for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.This development left commuters stranded with traffic jam in major areas in Lagos and Abuja as motorists toll the line, struggling to get the product.

Although regulators have tried to persuade citizens from panic buying, indications emerging that scarcity of the product would surface, informed panic buying mostly felt in Lagos and Abuja, while hoarding of the product has begun to build up in other parts of the country, particularly in the Southwest States.

….Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti to experience hike in price

This is just as indications  emerged that buyers would now have to pay more for petrol in States like Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti due to hike informed by increase of price per litre by private depot operators.

Investigation by Nigerian NewsDirect revealed that residents are now buying PMS in large kegs resulting in long queues, while findings in Lagos state revealed that buyers, using vehicles and jerrycans, were made to pay unofficial extra charges of N100 to N200 to attendants at filling stations.

Speaking with some of the fuel stations attendants in Abuja, it was gathered that some fuel stations refused to sell the product due to supply  shortfall  or unavailability of petrol, while some sold at the rate of N190 per litre.

At Federal Housing Lugbe, Abuja, majority of buyers grumbled due to the hardship they encountered before getting the product, while few of the fuel stations sold above N250.

This was just as security operatives were available due to the long queue, to control and organise vehicles into filling stations.

An attendant who spoke anonymously to Nigerian NewsDirect, at one of the fuel stations located at Gwagwalada, Abuja,  expressed his resentment openly, as well as hurling his displeasure on the government, over the recent fuel scarcity.

“If the government will remove the subsidy, let them make fuel available at ease. We sell at N250 per litre, and Nigerians are still struggling to get fuel. Look at our fuel station and its environment, it has been crowded with uncontrollable cars and motorcycles. We are not happy with the situation,” he said.

In Ogun State, slight queues have begun to gather-up in some filling stations in Abeokuta, the State Capital and Sagamu.

Some independent retail outlets have, however, adjusted their pump price to N190 per litre, while the major marketers are still selling at the normal pump price.

In Ibadan many filling stations were closed on Tuesday as they complained of no fuel, stating they were awaiting supply.

In a survey of 15 stations, only 5 stations were opened and dispensing fuel: Wheeldrop (Akobo), SAO (Bashorun), Bovas (UCH), SAO (Mokola) were opened and selling PMS out of the 15 stations our team checked out.

There were also indications of fuel scarcity in Osun State, especially Osogbo, the state capital as some marketers shut their petrol stations.

Our correspondent observed that  majority of filling stations selling PMS have closed their stations.

While motorists and motorcyclists were still buying fuel freely from the filling stations operating in Osogbo, it was gathered that NIPCO, Al-fajr, Matrix, and NNPC among others were not selling petrol at their stations in the capital.

…..Southwest’s situation supply induced — PETROAN

In reaction, the President of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Prince Billy Harry in a phone conversation with Nigerian NewsDirect noted that the current situation in the South West is supply induced.

“Every retail outlet is ready to sell. As a rule, our members are demanded to sell when they have products. We don’t hoard our products. We survive on the product margin we sell,” Billy said.

In the same vein, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Mr Aloga Ogbogo who had earlier spoken to Nigerian NewsDirect that the flooding wouldn’t affect the logistics of petroleum products in the South-west, however stated that if there is a shortfall in supply of petroleum products, marketers can be apprehensive.

“Once there is a disruption in the supply from government, it will affect the supply of products to consumers,” he said.

….IPMAN blames private depots for hike in price

Also reacting, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Western Zone,  attrubuted the increase in the pump price of PMS to the hike in private depot prices.

Chairman, IPMAN Western zone, Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, disclosed this against the backdrop of the ongoing fuel scarcity on Tuesday in Lagos.

Tajudeen, while condemning the increase, said that there had been increase in depot price of fuel from N148.17 per litre to N178 per litre since last week.

According to him, none of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC) depots has product and the private depots took advantage of the situation to hike the price.

“The only option for our members is to opt for private depots to keep our business moving.

“We are totally against the increase because it will affect our profit margins and the masses.

“Some private depots who have product, deliberately, refused to sell for reasons best known to them,” he said.

The IPMAN Chairman said that the marketers should not be blamed for the increase in pump price, adding that “selling at N170 per litre is not realistic.”

Tajudeen added, “Therefore, our members have no other option than to sell between N195 and N200 per litre within Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states, while we will sell between N200 and N210 in Kwara, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states.

“Most of the tank farm owners have justified this increase because of different charges, among which is vessels charges paid in dollars.

“We are equally calling on the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to investigate the arbitrary increase in fuel price by the private depot owners.”

….Operational, logistics challenges responsible — MOMAN

In swift reaction, the President of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Clement Isong explained that the marketers experienced some operational and logistics challenges which have now been resolved.

According to him, “the queue should disappear within the next one or two days.”

….There is enough supply — NMDPRA

Earlier, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had appealed to Nigerians not to engage in panic buying of petrol, saying it has enough in stock.

The Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Mr Farouk Ahmed, confirmed this in Lagos on Tuesday.

Ahmed said he had checked with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC) on the level of fuel stock and confirmed that they had sufficient stock.

“l spoke with the MOMAN’S Executive Secretary this morning and he told me they have sufficient stock.

“I have directed them to start evacuating the product immediately to filling stations. NNPC has also confirmed sufficiency and they have commenced evacuation.

“From now till tomorrow the situation will be back to normal. I don’t know what is happening but we are on top of the situation,” he said.

Ahmed assured that there was enough fuel and, therefore, appealed to members of the public to avoid panic buying as all efforts were being made to resolve shortage in some filling stations in Lagos and its environs.

This is just as NNPC Ltd has kept mum over the development and efforts made to get reactions from the Company’s end proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.