Petrol queues resurfaced in many parts of the country yesterday, with many motorists spending long periods in the queues before getting the product. In Abuja and environs many filling stations were empty while the few that had fuel were crowded by desperate motorists. NNPC however attributed the queues to panic buying and assured that it will step up fuel supply to ensure hitch free Christmas festivity.Already, a litre of petrol at the black market costs N200 in some parts of Abuja. Many motorists and commuters that spoke to our reporter said the scarcity is artificially created by government officials in order to pave way for the planned deregulation expected in January.Reports from Maiduguri also said the Borno State capital was hit by intense fuel scarcity as most filling stations within the metropolis were discovered to be shut down yesterday due to the unavailability of petroleum products. Some of the few private filling stations that opened to customers sold the product at N75 to N80 per litre, contradicting the approved government price of N65 per litre.Salisu Mafa, a taxi driver lamented that 'most of the filling stations deliberately withdrew the product from the market and concealed it in anticipation of a possible price increase. Already we are now forced to buy a litre of fuel at N75 to N80 in some of the available stations'.'Only the NNPC mega stations maintained their price at N65 but the queues in these stations are so long that joining them could take you several hours if not a whole day before it comes to your turn to be served. I think most of the filling stations are reserving the products for black marketers to exploit ordinary citizens', another motorist Isa Modu told Daily Trust.The development has favoured roadside black marketers as they made brisk business, hiking their price by N50 to N100 per litre. 'We normally sell a gallon of petroleum at the rate of N400, but considering the unavailability of the product in the last two days, we were forced to increase our price by N50 or N100 depending on the seller and the location', Umar Musa, a roadside fuel seller told Daily Trust.When our reporter visited the NNPC depot at Dambua road to seek the reaction of the company on the issue, a top official who refused to reveal his name or position but whose name was later understood to be Mr. Bello, declined to make any useful comments saying that 'we have a culture in NNPC. We don't talk to the press even on condition of anonymity. I will just advise you to direct any questions you have to our headquarters in Abuja.'Meanwhile, some industry sources in Abuja said the scarcity is as a result of the suspension of the fourth quarter imports allocation by the federal government through the NNPC and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). They said the federal government is deliberately reducing the amount of fuel in the country in order to force Nigerians to accept the deregulation of the downstream petroleum industry.One of the sources said when the scarcity bites hard especially during the festivities, people will be forced to agree to pay higher and get the fuel. He said even some of the vessels that supplied the refined products are waiting at the high seas waiting for directives to discharge.Initially, the scarcity was attributed to the strike embarked upon by staff of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) as a result of the sacking of one of their union leaders.But Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of the NNPC Dr Levi Ajuonuma said in a statement that complaints by some marketers that they could not lift products at the weekend because the officials of the Petroleum Equalization Fund, PEF, were not available for inspection as a result of a purported strike by staff of the agency was found not to be the case as the Executive Secretary of PEF confirmed that the staff of the agency did not at anytime embark on strike.He said the observed panic-induced fuel queues in Abuja have nothing to do with shortage in supply of petroleum products and that marketers and private depot owners are being adequately supplied with products.'As at today, the PPMC has stepped up supply of products to Abuja and environs from the normal 150 trucks per day to 224 trucks. This situation will be sustained from now through the period of Christmas and New Year festivities till January. I can assure you there is no shortage of PMS or any other petroleum product now or in the foreseeable future as the PPMC has a 54-day fuel sufficiency in strategic reserve', Ajuonuma said.The NNPC spokesman warned fuel station owners and private depot owners to shun any activity that could breach the effective supply and dispensing of products to members of the public, adding that anyone caught hoarding products or not dispensing products from all its pumps will be appropriately sanctioned.Ajuonuma also said NNPC was working in concert with other relevant agencies to ensure that petroleum products get to the end users at approved prices. He urged members of the public to desist from panic buying as there are enough products to go round even at the peak of demand as envisaged in the upcoming end of year festive season.
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