Fuel Queues: NNPC Proposes 100 million litters per Day for February
…as motorists engage in fisticuffs
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it has proposed to inject in two cargoes of petrol per day for the rest of February 2018 to boost supply, just as fuel situation in the nations capital bites harder with motorists go on physical scuffle in an attempt to buy a dint.
The NNPC Thursday, in a press statement said that each of the two cargoes is 50 million litres making a total of 100 million litres that will be brought in per day for the rest of February to increase supply and replenish strategic reserves.
Also, it said that to enhance supply, 45 million litres of petrol was discharged from ships into jetties across the country yesterday.
According to the NNPC. prior to the fresh 45 million litres discharge, there was 324 million litres of petrol on land and 432 million litres in marine storage making a total of 756 million litres, enough to last for 22 days at 35 million daily consumption rate.
The statement read in part “jetties that received the 45 million litres shipments include Nacj, Apapa; Bop, Apapa; Techo Jetty, Lagos; Dutchess, Oghara; Vine Jetty, Calabar; Chipet Jetty, Lagos; and ECM Jetty, Calabar.
To ensure efficient distribution of the product to depots in the hinterland, the Nigerian Pipeline and Storage Company (NPSC), a midstream subsidiary of the NNPC, has been mandated to fix relevant pipelines to facilitate seamless pumping, in addition to massive trucking arrangement that is in place”.
The corporation however, assures that with the measures in place, the fuel queues being experienced in some cities would soon be a thing of the past.
Meanwhile fuel queue in Abuja has turn a new twist as motorists and buyers engage in exchange of blows at several fuel stations to have access to the scarce commodity.
Ahmed Babaganaru, a bus driver, was taken to near bye clinic Wednesday morning for medications after being stabbed twice by a fellow commercial bus driver at a fuel station (name withheld) , owing to the struggle to have access to the commodity.
An eye witness had it that Babaganaru, whose vehicle, breached the cue protocol, had to bribe himself through to get fuel before other which led to the scuffle.
Our source, stated that there has been a repeat of similar incident across the petrol stations , despite a clamp down on marketers by DPR and NNPC.
In similar incident, the resurfacing of the fuel queue across the FCT, as well as other neighbouring states, has become increasingly unbearable as passengers are stranded along to road on the efforts to get to their work places and getting back home.
As a result of the development, commuters has increased transport fares from the Abuja suburb to the city centre from 100 naira to 200 naira as a against. While a litter of fuel at the available black market is sold at 300.00 per litre.
Passengers moving from one point of Abuja, has berated the ruling party for not keeping its campaign promises as it has failed to bring under control the perennial case of fuel scarcity.
