NMDPRA Warns Against Panic Buying As Fuel Scarcity tolls Lagos, Ogun, Abuja
Published by Borderless Media
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority appealed to Nigerians not to engage in panic buying of petrol, saying it had enough in stock, as petrol scarcity hit different parts of Nigeria on Tuesday, forcing motorists to spend hours at filling stations while battling to get the product.
The Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed in Lagos on Tuesday, said he had checked with MOMAN and the NNPC Ltd. on the level of fuel stock and confirmed that they had sufficient stock.
“l spoke with the MOMAN’S Executive Secretary this morning and he told me they have sufficient stock. I have directed them to start evacuating the product immediately to filling stations.
“NNPC has also confirmed sufficiency and they have commenced evacuation. From now till tomorrow, the situation will be back to normal.
“I don’t know what is happening but we are on top of the situation,” he said.
Ahmed assured that there was enough fuel and appealed to members of the public to avoid panic buying as all efforts were being made to resolve shortages in some filling stations in Lagos and its environs.
Black marketers had a field day, selling a litre of fuel at N300-N400 in many parts of the country. Many motorists were forced to patronise them as the unpalatable alternative was to wait for hours in filling stations.
Amid long queues and waiting hours in Lagos, some filling stations sold a litre of the Premium Motor Spirit at N200/litre as against the approved price of N180-N185/litre.
One of our correspondents who visited some filling stations around Ikotun, Egbeda and Ojodu Berger areas on Monday and Tuesday witnessed long queues at the few stations that managed to sell.
A businessman, Kayode Oloriegbe, said he could not wait to buy from filling stations, but had to patronise a black marketer who sold at N300/litre.
“I was lucky to buy a 10-litre gallon at N3,500. Others said they bought at higher prices from the black marketers,” he said.
A tricyclist, Ade, who operates between Ago Palace Way and Second Rainbow Bus Stop at Amuwo-Odofin, said, “Black marketers sell five litres at N1,700 at Ago Palace during the day and N2500 at night. This is a normal thing. Whenever we are approaching the end of the year, we mostly witness fuel scarcity.”
One of our correspondents who went around the Isolo, Okota and Ilasa axis in Lagos witnessed that only one out of six petrol stations around that axis sold petrol to motorists and other consumers. Others said they did not have petrol.
Two NNPC filling stations before Sule Abore Street in Ojodu were shut.
The attendants at the filling stations told The Punch that they had run out of fuel. They, however, said they were expecting to get the supply before the end of yesterday (Tuesday).
At BOVAS filling station, a long queue caused traffic gridlock along Ogba road as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, a long queue was sighted at Rainoil filling at Berger Roundabout, with some drivers alleging that they were charged an extra N300 by fuel attendants. The attendants declined to speak with our correspondent.
At the Eterna Oil filling station located before Afeez Bus Stop, Ojodu Berger, there was also a long queue.
