FG steps In As Oil Marketers Reduce Their Operations

Many filling stations are currently closed in the FCT, leading to long queues by motorists at the few outlets that are dispensing petrol.

On Monday, the Federal Government committed to addressing the issues raised by oil distributors and transporters in order to guarantee seamless operations in spite of the high expense, particularly with regard to the upkeep of trucks utilized for the delivery of petroleum products.

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this information to some of the downstream oil industry participants during a meeting in Abuja.

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

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As of Monday night, a large number of fuel stations in Abuja were not dispensing the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel. The few marketers who were had long lines and charged between N617 and N675 per litre.

There were queues outside the retail locations of NNPC Ltd., which currently charges N617 per litre, and black marketers could be seen on the streets.

The minister asserted, however, that the transporters had shown patriotism and had promised to engage consistently to find long-term solutions to their problems.

“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,” he said.