I apologise – Kachikwu on fuel scarcity

The Minister for State Petroleum and Resources, and Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, lbe Kachikwu, has tendered a public apology to Nigerians on the nagging fuel scarcity across the country.

A fresh fuel scarcity crisis broke out in February, prompting the NNPC to issue a public warning, that the scarcity was artificial. According to the Corporation, it had enough in stock to last the country for the whole of March, warning Nigerians to desist from panic buying.

Just when the Corporation was rallying all avenue to curb the crises, alongside announcement that NNPC has been restructured into seven units on March 8, the fuel crises deepened as a result of the strike action embarked upon by oil workers under the auspice of the Petroleum and Gas Senior Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG on March 9.

However, the strike action was called off on 10th March after a dialogue between the Federal Government and executives of the unions in Abuja.

Meanwhile, on Friday, March 11, South-West Chairman of NUPENG, Tokunbo Korodo, said the ongoing scarcity may linger till the end of March.

According to him, loading of petrol at NNPC and private depots were slow. He said if no improvement was seen by this week then, the situation may worsen.

“The pace of loading of fuel at NNPC depots in Mosinmi and Ejigbo is very slow as most tankers drivers that wanted to load, left the depots with nothing.

“Even at private depots where they sell above the ex-depot price, the pace of loading is very slow.

“Presently, we need massive loading of petrol nationwide to get over the present scarcity”, he said.

Taking to his social media account, Twitter, Kachikwu apologised for the “pain” caused by the situation, saying it was not his intention to see Nigerians queue up unendingly to buy fuel.

“I apologise to Nigerians for all the pains. Nobody wants to see people spend 2 hours on fuel queues…”

Speaking further, he explained that he has been on tour of some fuel stations around Abuja, saying the Corporation is working on a “long term solution”, and that the scarcity will soon be a thing of the past.

“We are working on long term solutions. We are on tour of some fuel stations within Abuja and environs. I assure that the fuel situation will soon be allayed,” he tweeted.

As Nigerians grit their teeth under the ‘denial’, accusing fingers have been pointed at NNPC stations for adjusting their pumps. During a tour by Business Times, discovered that NNPC stations at 2nd Rainbow Festac Side, and the one along Apapa/Oshodi expressway

NNPC had earlier said vandalism of pipelines, strike by petroleum tanker drivers and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, are to be blamed.

NNPC’s Victor Adeniran, had said the strikes had effect on the movement of the fuel offshore and onshore.

However he said, the NNPC had made special arrangement to provide intervention trucks that would ensure adequate supply of petroleum products in the country.

Mr. Adeniran said that NNPC currently supplies 100 per cent instead of the 48 per cent supplied under normal circumstances.

According to him, the corporation embarked on the 100 per cent supply because other complimentary marketers were not bringing in products.