From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has charged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to establish and equip more depots nationwide to end the reoccurring fuel scarcity in the country.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Kingsley Uju on the “need to establish more petrol depots in Nigeria,” at yesterday’s plenary.
Uju, in his motion, said there was insufficient depots to store petroleum products in the country and that the NNPC had accepted a lapse in its supply chain.
“According to information available on the official website of the NNPC, Nigeria has 5,000 kilometres of pipeline network, 21 storage depots and nine LPG depots which are grossly inadequate to effectively serve the 36 states of the country as well as the Federal Capital Territory, hence the recurring fuel scarcity.
“Many other depots are owned by private individuals who receive fuel from the NNPC and then sell at exorbitant prices, causing unnecessary irregularities in the price of the product across the country. If more fuel depots are established, fuel scarcity will be curbed, while more employment opportunities will be created as a result, thus improving the country’s economy,” Uju said.
In a related development, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the potential in the transportation sector, if properly harnessed could contribute substantially to the growth of the Nigerian economy. Gbajabiamila stated this, yesterday, while declaring open a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Transportation on a bill to repeal the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology Act and enact Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology Act to provide for studies for the development of the transportation sector.
The speaker said there is doubt that “if this ( transport) sector is properly utilised and harnessed, the sector can sufficiently sustain the Nigeria economy and liberate us from the current over dependence on oil.”
He said another benefit of the Bill, when fully operational as a law, is that it will assist in the reduction of carnage on Nigerian roads, waterways and other means of transportation.
“For example, indicators confirm that majority of our road and waterways mishaps are caused by human factors, negligence, and lack of proper vehicles maintenance. Statistics has it that Nigeria recorded 3700 road accidents in the fourth quarter of 2021. This figure is quite alarming and worrisome for a country that claims to be giant of Africa. In view of the prospects and opportunities in this sector, I must say that Bill is very timely and a laudable initiative.”