NNPC says fuel queues will disappear by weekend
The
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Thursday in Abuja
says fuel queues will `normalise’ by Friday and disappear by weekend.
Mr Ndu Ughamadu, the NNPC spokesman,
said this in Abuja that there was an increase in the number of incoming trucks
of petrol into the FCT to curb the queues in the city. According to him, the
NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, has met with the heads of
Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Petrol Tanker Drivers
(PTD) to nip the problem in the bud.
He disclosed that a nation that
consumed 35 million litres suddenly increased consumption to 85 million litres
due diversion to neighbouring countries. “Dr Baru just today directed that more
trucks be moved into the FCT to douse tension and increase supply. He met with
NARTO and PTD and they assured that trucks would be closely monitored.
“He said Lagos should be maintained at 300
trucks but the actual figure coming into Abuja should be increased by 150.
“Port Harcourt refinery has also increased refining and so by tomorrow (Friday)
queues should normalise and by weekend it would have disappeared,’’ Ughamadu
said. He said that the scarcity was artificial as the corporation “as at today
has adequate products and a 25-day sufficiency’’.
A check of some filling stations in
Abuja revealed that the queues were getting longer across the city. Of the 16
petrol stations on the airport road, only three were dispensing the product
while the rest were closed. Attempts to reach the Department of Petroleum
Resources for comments on the shut stations were not possible, as the
spokesperson did not pick his calls.
Vanguard
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