Collapsed bridge may cause fuel scarcity

Nigerians have been alerted about the impending scarcity of petroleum products in the country in view of collapsed bridge along Jebba – Mokwa federal high way, thereby cutting off the southern and western parts of the country.

The national President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Mallam Kashim Ibrahim, who dropped this hints maintained that in the next three days there will scarcity of petroleum products across the country.

He spoke on Monday in Tatabu village in Mokwa Local government area of Niger state when the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo visited the scene for on-the-spot inspection of the collapsed bridges.

He added that “the ten days ultimatum given to all tanker drivers to deliver Petroleum products by the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) to points of destination cannot be actualised.”

However, the Acting President while responding to questions after inspecting the ongoing construction at Tatabu assured that the ultimatum given by PEF will not work”.

According to him “I don’t think ultimatum will be of much use here, what we have to deal with here is an emergency and we have to deal with it. Everyone have been fully mobilised for the completion of the project.

“The road transport union workers understand the nature of the problem and they know we are working to fix it.”Ibrahim said further that “we have our fears that if these bridges are not fixed in the next few days, there is going to be fuel scarcity across the country.

“This is because the ten days ultimatum given to all tanker drivers to deliver Petroleum products by PEF to points of destination cannot be actualise because of the collapse yet they (PEF) do not want to see reasons with us.”The worry is that if these tankers don’t deliver products at the stipulated deadline our members will lose all their payments since it is PEF that regularise payments”. Speaking also, the National Chairmen of Tanker Drivers, Comrade Salimon Oladiti said it is a pity that Nigeria as a country is experiencing this problem.

“Our members are the ones most affected; we want the federal government and the National assembly to declare an emergency on federal roads in Niger state.

He said “apart from the scarcity of fuel, there would be shortage of foods also, because fuel from South to North has stopped and foods from North to South have stopped too.

“You can see that the collapsed bridge has affected the entire economy of Nigeria as billions of naira is being lost everyday these trailers and tankers are grounded”.

It should be recalled that the two bridges in Tatabu and Bokani villages in Mokwa Local government areas of the state collapsed in 4th and 11th of June respectively after a heavy downpour.