While the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of
Nigeria, IPMAN, said that the Federal Government still owes oil marketers N151
billion outstanding fuel subsidy claims, the executive secretary of the
Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPRA, Mr. Ahmed Faruk, who
did not specify the amount owed, admitted that the non-payment to marketers is
partly responsible for the fuel crisis being experienced in some parts of the
country.
Faruk, however, said that over nine vessels were discharging
about 200 million litres of premium motor spirit, PMS, otherwise known as
petrol, across the country.
He said: “From our report, we have over nine vessels
currently engaged in discharging products in various depots across the country.
From Calabar to Oghara, we have Lister Depot; it is supposed to be discharging
for Oando.
“We have Atlas Cove vessels discharging for Pipeline and
Products Marketing Company, PPMC. We have vessels discharging in Apapa. All in
all we have over 200 million litres being discharged by various vessels.
‘No need to panic’
“There is no need for any panic because we have the product.
And I can advise the general public just to calm down and go about their normal
businesses; not to panic as the product is available.”
Reacting to the money being owed to marketers, Faruk explained,
“Before then, some of the marketers were finding it difficult to secure credit
lines to open letters of credit to bring their impor-tation. But I understand
that payments were being made.”
Also, Faruk said that rumours of alleged moves by the
Federal Government to increase the pump price of PMS led to the scarcity of
fuel as some marketers began to hoard the product.
However, IPMAN said that sequel to the last fuel scarcity
experienced nationwide, government made frantic efforts and released N41
billion for part-payment of what it owed marketers to enable them continue
product supply.
According to IPMAN, before then government had not paid
marketers since September 2013.
Scarcity, prices
Notwithstanding the position of PPPRA, scarcity of fuel is
being experienced in various parts of the country except Lagos.
Though the long queues witnessed at filling stations in the
thick of the fuel crisis some weeks ago are no longer there, fuel prices have
hovered between N120 and N140 in different parts of the country.
In Aba, the Abia State commercial nerve centre, residents
have been buying a litre of fuel for between N120 and N125 in the last nine
months.
The story is similar in Owerri, the Imo State capital, where
the residents have had to contend with the exorbitant price of between N115 and
N125.
According to Angus Ike, a civil servant, residents of the
state have resigned themselves to fate as the only places fuel is sold at the
official price are the few NNPC stations in Owerri, which are not enough.
Abuja
In Abuja, the nation’s capital, outside the major filling stations,
fuel is sold for between N100 and N110, while roadside vendors have been making
brisk businesses selling 10 litres of fuel are sold between N1,500 and N2,000.
The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, attributed the
situation in Abuja to pressure from motorists in the neighbouring states.
According to the Abuja Zonal Controller of DPR, Mr. Aliyu
Halidu, most motorists in the neighbouring states come to Abuja to buy fuel
because of the availability of the product.
He said: “The supply to Abuja fluctuates between 80 and 120
trucks per day. Why we have queues, even if we have 120 trucks in Abuja, is
because the environs are not being served and they are dried.
“If anybody comes to Abuja, the tendency is for the person
to fuel his car before going back. Those coming from Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi
congregate here to take fuel.
“There are commercial vehicles that come with dry tank and
they fill their tanks here before they go back.”
The Zonal Controller explained that DPR also tried to make
sure that stations sold with maximum number of pumps, in addition to ensuring
that the product is sold at the official pump price.
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