By Adewale Sanyaolu
To bridge the huge supply gap in the market in order to clear fuel queues, Nipco Plc, a major downstream operator, and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ejigbo depot, have commenced 24-hour loading of fuel.
According to Nipco, the 24-hour loading of petroleum products is sequel to the receipt of cargo supplies from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
A statement by Nipco’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Taofeek Lawal, said Nipco was one of the marketers which benefitted from the NNPC cargo supplies currently being dispatched to all parts of the country.
Lawal commended NNPC management as well as that of its subsidiary company, Petroleum Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC), for boosting petroleum products supplies, disclosing that Nigerians would soon feel the impact of the NNPC intervention.
Meanwhile, IPMAN says long queues at petrol stations in Lagos and Ogun states will soon disappear as NNPC has flooded the Ejigbo depot with Premium Motor Spirit.
According to IPMAN, the Ejigbo depot supplies no fewer than 900 fuel stations in Lagos.
The Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of IPMAN, Alhaji Alanamu Balogun, in a statement on Sunday, said that NNPC had responded positively to the oil marketers’ complaint about shortage of petrol supply to them.
Balogun, according to the statement, said the NNPC had now increased daily supply to Ejigbo from six trucks to 80 and has even promised to increase the supply.
“Before the fuel crisis, the NNPC was supplying our members only six trucks daily but since about five days now, the corporation has increased the supply to 80 trucks per day and promised to increase the supply further. Our members and NNPC staff are now working 24 hours daily to ensure that fuel circulates all over Lagos and Ogun states regularly,” the statement quoted Balogun as saying yesterday.
He said the problem of fuel scarcity would soon be resolved and urged members of the public to panic buying.
“The NNPC has repaired all the existing facilities at Ejigbo satellite depot to enhance fuel supply to the public. The situation now is that the fuel scarcity in Lagos and Ogun state will end within the next few days. Members of the public are advised to stop panic buying of fuel and storing petroleum products in their homes which could cause fire disaster.
“The NNPC has promised to repair all its facilities in Ilorin, Ibadan and Ore depots to ensure regular fuel supply nationwide,” he added.