Scarcity: FG orders massive distribution of petrol to marketers

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timpre Sylva, says the Federal Government has taken bold actions to stop the ongoing petrol scarcity across the country, while assuring massive distribution of the product.

Sylva gave the assurance after his tour of some selected petroleum dispensing outlets in Lagos on Friday.

The minister said he came on the directive of President Muhammdu Buhari to assess the situation of things with regard to distribution and adherence to price regulation.

He stated that an inter-ministerial intervention, initiated by government, has set out to ensure proper management of petrol distribution across the country.

He reassured that with the current steps, all hiccups leading to the current situation has been addressed.

“Fuel is everywhere, both in Lagos and Abuja.

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“I visited many stations in Ikeja and on the mainland. From every indications, there are products everywhere and I want to assure you that the queues will disappear in a matter of days,” Sylva said.

The minister said the situation, witnessed in Lagos, has been achieved in 15 states across the country, adding that the President has ordered that queues must be cleared immediately.

On arbitrary price hike by some marketers, he said he had directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ( NMDPRA) to upscale its regulatory activities and ensure marketers abide by current price regime.

Sylva stated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets were selling at N184 per litre, adding that over 900 outlets operated by the company were selling at same price.

“And that is the official price everybody is expected to sell, but l admitted there are sharp practices still ongoing,” the minister stressed.

Explaining how the situation degenerated into a crisis, Sylva said the government did not see it coming.

According to him,  sabotage plays a key role in the sector as those who do not mean well for the country take advantage of the upcoming elections to create panic by engaging in market disruptions.

The minister said other factors like insecurity, foreign exchange scarcity, and lack of currency availability further compounded the situation.

Sylva, however, said the inter-ministerial body, inaugurated by the President, was not working in synergy to put in check all seeming challenges and block all potholes.

The NNPCL, on Thursday, allocated 150 million litres of petrol to Ijegun-Egba Satellite depots to ease scarcity.

The Star