The lingering fuel scarcity may continue till next month, considering marketers’ insistence on being paid the balance of over N200billion subsidy arrears owed them by the Federal Government.
It was learnt that the situation is getting worse because the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) can only meet 50 per cent of the national demand and the oil marketers that supply the remaining 50 per cent have refused to import since last month.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said the Corporation has 25 days stock but noted that the scarcity got worse because of the workers’ strike.
Alegbe said: “As we speak, we have 25 days sufficiency. Although we (NNPC) import only 50 per cent of national demand, the scarcity is not supposed to be this severe. The situation was worsened by the strike embarked upon by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). As a result of this strike, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTDs) are not lifting fuel. Also, members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) have not imported a litre of fuel for a long time now.
“We have been on negotiation with the striking workers since Friday and I hope the issue will be resolved before midnight today (Sunday) and the strike will be called off. We explained to them (striking workers) that this time is very wrong to embark on such strike because Nigerians suffer the impact and it is not good for a smooth transition expected in less than a week. We directed retail outlets to sell but because the tanker drivers were not lifting, they didn’t have product to sell. The supply situation will certainly improve substantially this week.”
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