Fuel queues: FG appeals as oil marketers down tools

The Federal Government has promised to address the concerns of oil transporters and distributors to ensure smooth distribution following the high cost of operations and maintenance of trucks used in the distribution of petroleum products.

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, said this during a meeting with some of the oil stakeholders in the downstream sector in Abuja on Monday, February 19, 2024.

The stakeholders include members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The meeting became necessary over fuel queues which returned to various fuel stations on Monday.

The development followed the suspension of operations by NARTO, in fulfillment of their threat to suspend the lifting of petroleum products nationwide and down tools from Monday due to the high cost of operations and maintenance.

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It was gathered that many fuel stations in Abuja were not dispensing petrol, while few marketers that were dispensing had long queues and sold between N617 and N675 per litre.

The NNPCL retail outlets that currently sell at N617 per litre also had long queues, while black marketers were seen on the roads.

The minister, however, said the transporters had demonstrated patriotism and assured of constant and sustained engagement to find lasting solutions to their challenges.

He said: “Nigerians are already going through a lot as a result of the circumstances we found ourselves in.

“The issues they raised are basically commercial and as a government, we have to intervene so that Nigerians will not suffer. At the end of the engagement, there will be a solution.”

Speaking after the meeting, the NARTO President, Yusuf Othman, said the meeting was fruitful because the minister appreciated them and assured them of the government’s readiness to tackle their challenges.

“We are not fighting the government and it is not government business anymore to pay us freight rate, rather it is in the hands of the oil marketers.

“The oil marketers also made some increase in the freight rate which should be addressed too. The minister promised to meet with us and the marketers on Tuesday,” Othman told NAN.

The engagement which is expected to find a lasting solution to the challenges continues on Tuesday, February 20.

The Star