NNPCL Attributes Fuel Queues To Movement Restrictions For Elections

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) has attributed fuel queues in Abuja and some parts of the country to restrictions of businesses and movement during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

The NNPCL said operations had resumed at the depots and trucks were being dispatched to various parts of the country.

Garba Deen Muhammad, the chief corporate communications officer, NNPCL, in a statement said its latest updates released on Saturday showed a total of 2.1 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) stock.

In a statement, NNPC Ltd blamed election restrictions for the scarcity. It said there is 2.1 billion litres of petrol in stock, implying there should be no scarcity of the commodity in the country. It therefore asked Nigerians to not engage in “panic buying”.

“The appearance of pockets of queues in Abuja and some parts of the country, is largely due to restrictions in businesses and movement, to allow for the conduct of the presidential and NASS elections and enable Nigerians to exercise their civic right.

“However, operations have now resumed at the depots and trucks are being dispatched to various parts of the country. We expect normalcy to be restored in a few days.”

According to its latest updates, a total of 2.1bn litres of petrol stock, representing 0.9bn litres in all the land depots nationwide and 1.2bn litres on marine vessels, is available. NNPC said that is equivalent to 35 days’ sufficiency as of 4th March 2023.

“We plan to close the month of March 2023 with about 2.8bn litres, which is equivalent to 47 days of sufficiency,” it said in the statement.

Ahead of the state-wide election, the company said it will work with its partners and stakeholders to ensure a seamless distribution of petroleum products during the gubernatorial and state assembly elections.

On its part, NMDPRA said operations in loading depots have fully resumed after the restriction of movements during the election period.

In a statement issued by the authority’s chief executive, Farouk Ahmed, the regulator said it is “working with other stakeholders to mitigate the slight tightness being experienced in the distribution of petrol.”

It also revealed that the stock sufficiency stands at 35.39 days for petrol, 34.86 days for diesel and 31.36 days for kerosene.

Reacting to the scarcity, the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) on Sunday in Lagos, insisted that there is enough product.

The Executive Secretary of MOMAN, Mr Clement Isong, told Daily Trust that the current scarcity of petrol in some parts of the country was due to restriction during the February 25, presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said, “There is nothing like scarcity of petrol. We have enough in stock. The restriction of movement in the last general elections affected supply as the distribution network was cut off.

“Trucks that took products to the North and other parts of the country couldn’t return to Lagos to pick more products for supply.

“But starting from Monday, normalcy will return as trucks will lift products from depots in Lagos up country,” Isong noted.