*As Nigerians fault NNPC for not explaining reason behind scarcity
*Want FG to provide lasting solution to end long queue
About two weeks after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited assured Nigerians that the lingering fuel crisis and its attendant queues at the filling stations will disappear, fuel scarcity has continued to persists as long queues resurface in Abuja and its neighbouring states.
But the scarcity is already taking its toll on residents, who queued for hours and passed the night in their desperate bid to get the Premium Motor Spirits (PMS) popularly referred to as petrol.
Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa and Niger states on Sunday, reports that long queues were noticeable at fuel stations at about 12:28pm while motorists queued in the scorching sun to get the product.
At Dan Oil along the Airport Road, the gate was under lock and key but there was a very long queue as some of the motorists told this reporter they were waiting in anticipation.
” I have been on queue here for about six hours. I know they are not selling now but I have hope that they will open soon”, said Ezekiel Chukwu, a commercial taxi driver.
The situation was not different at Shema, A.A Rano, NIPCO filling stations still along the Airport Road where only one or two nozzles were dispensing fuel.
In the city centre, fuel stations belonging to major marketers and those belonging to the state-run NNPC had long queues stretching to the highways.
Speaking with Theideal News, frustrated motorists recounted their ordeals and expressed worries as to the day the fuel scarcity would subside.
A civil servant, Mr. Benjamin Chike, said all his efforts to get petrol over the weekend failed as most of the stations in Gwagwalada where he reside refused to sell petrol.
Chike also said that he had to wake up very early on Sunday morning before he could refuel his car.
Another motorist, Mr. Amos Gabriel, narrated how he moved from one filling station to the other without any luck.
Many residents who depended on public transport also lamented over the lingering fuel scarcity which made them to wait for several hours at the bus stops.
The motorists called on the NNPC and the Federal Government to do everything necessary to end the crisis in the city.
On his part, a motorist, Mr Chima Maduka, blamed the NNPC for not explaining to Nigerians the reason behind the fuel scarcity even after promising to inject 2.1 billion litres of petrol into the system by the end of February.
He said, “Today is February 26; the queue in Abuja is unprecedented since the coming of this administration; we have not witnessed such queues; so what is responsible? The NNPC should explain.”
Mr Biola Akinwumi, a taxi driver, said he got to the fuel station as early as 5 a.m., but met a long queue, adding that such development would not augur well for the country and the economy.
He urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, provide a lasting solution that would end the long queue.
The situation was not different in Marraba, Karu in Nasarawa State as well as Suleja, Tugwa-maje and other neighbouring towns as motorists and commuters groans as a result of the scarcity.
Theideal recalls that the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari, had on February 16, promised that the scarcity would end by the end of February.
Kyari made the promise before the House of Representatives Committee on NNPC (Downstream), investigating circumstances surrounding the importation of adulterated fuel into the country.
The current fuel scarcity had been blamed on the importation of adulterated petrol and the withdrawal of same after it had damaged many vehicles.
Kyari also said that there was already a receipt of 2.1 billion litres of petrol which would be distributed to normalize the situation.
He said: “This National Assembly created the NNPC Limited. By God’s grace, I am the CEO of that company. This company will serve the Nigerian people.
“By law, it is required to ensure energy security. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide energy security for this country. This company must operate within the laws of this country and this is what we have always done, and this is what we will continue to do.
“For this current situation, I assure you that we have taken every necessary step to restore supply into this country. We have placed orders significant enough for us to cross into March, with at least 2.1 billion litres of PMS in our custody.
“The situation you’re seeing today, I can assure you that by next week, it will vanish. All things being equal because of distribution issues that we may not have control over including the movement of trucks, otherwise we have robust supply arrangement to make sure that we exit this issue.”
Incidentally, no single litre of PMS is processed locally.
Giving a background process of fuel importation in the country, Kyari regretted that all the fuel consumed in Nigeria was imported.
He explained that the situation will persist for a long time unless the refineries were upgraded.
