The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) claimed it has intensified efforts to flood the market with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol.
Six major marketers: Total, Forte Oil, Oando Plc, MRS, 11 Plc and Nipco Plc, are now loading the product round the clock from their various depots in Lagos for onward trucking to all parts of the country, NNPC General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndu Nghamadu said.
The supplies are mostly from Cargoes of PMS imported to by NNPC which are daily berthing and immediately being made to discharge their products to stem the supply hiccups.
NNPC assures Nigerians to remain calm and not to engage in panic buying as the end of the challenge is nigh.
Marketers are strongly advised against hoarding as security agencies, working with industry regulators, would mete out appropriate sanctions to defaulters.
Earlier in the week, NNPC GMD, Dr. Maikanti Baru stated that the Corporation’s 1billion litres PMS cargo imports had started to arrive, saying supplies to parts of the country had been doubled to 80million litres per day since the current hiccup in the supply chain was noticed a few days back.
Meanwhile the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria says long queues at petrol stations in Lagos and Ogun states will soon disappear as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has flooded the Ejigbo depot with Premium Motor Spirit.
According to IPMAN, the Ejigbo depot supplies no fewer than 900 filling stations in Lagos.
The chairman of the Lagos Chapter of IPMAN, Alhaji Alanamu Balogun, was quoted in a statement as saying that the NNPC had responded positively to the oil marketers’ complaint about shortage of petrol supply to them.
Balogun, according to the statement, said the NNPC had now increased daily supply to Ejigbo from six trucks to 80 and has even promised to increase the supply.
He said the problem of fuel scarcity would soon be resolved and urged members of the public to panic buying.
“The NNPC has repaired all the existing facilities at Ejigbo satellite depot to enhance fuel supply to the public. The situation now is that the fuel scarcity in Lagos and Ogun state will end within the next few days. Members of the public are advised to stop panic buying of fuel and storing petroleum products in their homes which could cause fire disaster.
“The NNPC has promised to repair all its facilities in Ilorin, Ibadan and Ore depots to ensure regular fuel supply nationwide,” he added.