Filling stations shut for lack of fuel Filling stations shut for lack of fuel

AS the fuel scarcity grew worse yesterday, more filling stations shut down to customers, giving room for illegal sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

As at yesterday, only few stations sold the product, while many others shut down with motorists waiting for a glimpse of hope of ever getting the product.

When The Guardian visited Apapa yesterday, petrol tankers waiting to load products flooded the area where a large chunk of the country’s fuel depots is situated.

Though the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) claimed to be supplying fuel to major filling stations across the country, the Executive Secretary, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Thomas Olawore, said the NNPC lacked the capacity to address the national demand for petrol in the long term and did not have the distribution network to drive product penetration.

But the corporation insisted that it had stepped up efforts to maintain stability in the supply and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.

According to the Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Olufemi Adewole, all its members who own most of the products storage facilities across the country are fast running out of stock of products.

Adewole said that most marketers did not seem to possess the financial muscle to undertake further fuel importations, as they were yet to receive subsidy arrears from the Federal Government.

“But, it is one thing to load, and another thing for it to be adequate. We are loading what NNPC is giving us. As it stands now, almost all marketers have run out of stock.

“Nobody has the means to import. No marketer has received payment for products imported since August last year.”

Although the president gave approval for the payment of about N413 billion as part of the subsidy arrears to marketers, Adewole said they were yet to receive the money.

“The president said that the subsidy payment has been approved, but the payment is yet to be made. Not one marketer has received payment. We are still waiting for the payment. If we got that, it would help us do better than we are doing at the moment,” he said.

Culled From Guardian

Filling stations shut for lack of fuel Filling stations shut for lack of fuel

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