Fuel Scarcity Persists In Lagos, PPPRA Blames Queues On Marketers
DAYS after long queues resurfaced in most parts
of the country as a result of scarcity of Premium
Motor Spirit
(PMS), otherwise known as petrol, there appears
to be no respite as the scarcity bites harder in
Lagos and other states.
Many filling stations, including the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) mega stations, have run short of
the product.
At filling stations dispensing petrol, long
queues spill onto the roads, causing
traffic bottlenecks. The Petroleum
Products Pricing Regulatory Agency
(PPPRA) has blamed the queues in some
states on hoarding and sharp practices
of fuel marketers.
Its Head of Corporate Services, Mr. Lanre
Oladele, who stated this in a chat with
The Guardian in Abuja yesterday,
explained that the desire to sell petrol
above the regulated price of N87 per
litre by some marketers was largely
responsible for the queues and scarcity.
However, the queues in Abuja have
abated, as most filling stations outside of
the metropolis now have the product to
dispense at the official price of N87 per
litre.
Oladele, who is also the spokesperson of
the agency, hinted that the scheduling of
the Appropriation Bill to the Second
Reading in the Senate on Thursday has
raised the hope of possible payment of
the outstanding subsidy to marketers in
a matter of days.
“It means that President Muhammadu
Buhari and Minister of State for
Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu,
are taking practical steps to ensure the
payment is made.
“This also gives hope that the money is
likely to be paid in the next few days.
We assure that once the Bill is accented
to by the President, the money would be
released immediately to the marketers,”
Oladele stated.
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