…Insists on N133.28 ex-depot price
From Uche Usim, Abuja
As the petrol scarcity gradually abates nationwide, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it has deployed more of its depots and other throughput facilities to enforce the N133.28 ex-depot price.
A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, quoted the Managing Director of PPMC, Mr. Umar Ajiya, as saying that the measure became necessary to resolve the price differentials between some of its stakeholders.
Ajiya noted that the throughput facilities along with some of its coastal depots would go a long way in ensuring that marketers access PMS at the approved government price. He maintained that the corporation had adequate supply of petrol, advising against panic buying.
“As at today, I want to confirm that NNPC/PPMC has more than 20 days’ sufficiency both at marine and land depots and we are still operating 24 hours at the depots and all NNPC retail outlets to wet the nation with PMS,” he stated.
He added that the corporation received between one and two PMS-laden ships per day, adding that there were days that NNPC/PPMC took delivery of four cargoes of ship laden with petroleum products.
The PPMC boss stated that queues were easing out across the country going by feedbacks from the field and that most of the filling stations were selling at the approved price of N145 per litre.
He said the daily truck-outs from the depots had been increased from 1,733 trucks to 2,000 trucks per day, adding that efforts are on to sustain the tempo in order to flood the market with PMS.
Ajiya called on marketers to desist from hoarding and diversion of petroleum products to neighbouring countries, stressing that the corporation was working hand-in-hand with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and other security agencies to sanction defaulting marketers.
He enjoined motorists and other consumers of PMS to report any infraction by marketers or any NNPC retail outlet to the corporation.
On Monday, in Abuja, several filling stations had run out of petrol leaving motorists and commuters in a state of despair.
The situation was not any better for NNPC mega stations, which used to be the hope of motorists during the scarcity last month. Many of them were without products, forcing consumers to patronise hawkers.
