Fuel scarcity: NNPC calls for patience as oil marketers extend operation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has urged Nigerians to exercise patience as the corporation works assiduously to restore normal supply and distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) across the country.

The NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari stated this when appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream).

He said: “We regret this situation. It is completely unavoidable, we didn’t see it coming. We apologise to Nigerians. We didn’t see this coming.”

The NNPC chief said the fuel scarcity was caused by the discovery of methanol in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria under the subsisting commercial contract operated by NNPC and its partners.

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Kyari added: “We are a law-abiding company. There is no way we could have known about the methanol presence. The only way we could have known about it is if our suppliers, in good faith, made the disclosure to us.

“In this particular instance, the discovery was made by our inspection agents who noticed the emulsification at the filling stations and brought it to our attention. Subsequent investigation revealed that the four cargoes which are all from the same source also contained methanol-blended PMS.”

He assured Nigerians that measures had been put in place to accelerate fuel supply and distribution, saying the NNPC had placed orders for 2.1 billion litres of methanol-free PMS to ensure the queues in filling stations vanished in a few days.

Meanwhile, the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOWAN) on Wednesday ordered filling stations in the country to extend their hours of operation in a bid to end the long queues at the retail outlets.

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The MOMAN Chairman, Olumide Adeosun, gave the directive in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

He ordered the filling stations to operate between 18 to 24 hours daily.

Aside from retailers, jetties and depots are also expected to work with this timeframe as the marketers continue to work alongside Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and other regulatory authorities to resolve the fuel crisis experienced by motorists, businesses and households.

Adeosun said: “Most importantly, MOMAN members have committed resources towards enhanced operations and associated activities to reduce the burden of the current fuel scarcity to our customers.

“Towards this purpose, MOMAN members shall extend opening hours of jetties, depots, and filling stations to a minimum of 18 hours a day and where possible up to 24 hours a day in high density and flagship locations where the security situation permits.