…appeal to Nigerians to stop panic buying
Olusola Bello
The group managing director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mele Kyari has once again appealed to Nigerians over the ugly situations being witnessed at filling stations across the country because of issues with fuel distribution.
He said that neither the government nor the NNPC has plan to adjust the price of petrol or depot prices. “We don’t have any plan to adjust the price of petrol, which is why we call on all marketers to ensure that they sell petrol at filling stations and depots at prices approved by the government.”
The NNPC boss, who made this appeal on Wednesday in Abuja, reiterated his earlier statement that there is enough fuel to go around the country. He frowns at the long queues witnessed at the filling stations, despite the efforts made to ensure 24 hours loading at the depots.
“Presently we have over 1.7 billion litres of petrol both in marine and on land. This also means that we have the capacity to load out excessively from all depots. We put in place a plan where loading is taking place all day and nights in every depot where there is fuel. This will ensure that the scarcity created by panic buying which is what we see at the filling station today, would now be eliminated so that normalcy can return.”
“Typically, in a situation like this, people go to the filling stations and buy in excess of what they need. This is what additional supply would resolve. I am sure this would happen very soon.
He said following the attempt by some depot owners to increase ex-depot prices, the NNPC has engaged Major Oil Marketers Association Of Nigeria( MOMAN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers( NUPENG), DAPPMA and Petroleum Tankers Drivers( PTD) and they have all agreed that NNPC would carry out necessary sanctions against any marketer caught in the act of increasing the prices of petrol or those who refuse to sell petrol.
“Additionally, we are convinced that the authorities would carry out necessary sanctions allowed by law for any defaulting depot owner. This would ensure that Nigerians would continue to buy petrol at the price approved by government.”
He emphasized that there is sufficient fuel in the country and that what is being witnessed at the filling stations is as a result of people buying more fuel than they needed at the filling stations.
