By Suleiman Mustapha
The fuel marketers and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), yesterday, engaged each other in a blame game over the lingering fuel crisis in the country.
While NMDPRA insists that fuel retailers were hoarding the product to sabotage the government and profiteer excessively from hapless consumers, the marketers on the other hand have denied the allegation, saying they were unfounded.
The fuel worsening situation has led to long queues at filling stations, leaving many motorists and consumers stranded and frustrated.
It was reported that in Abuja and some parts of the north, petrol sells for N950/1 litre amid long queues.
Responding to allegations of sabotage and fuel hoarding, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Mr. Billy Gilly-Harris, dismissed the claims the fuel is being hoarded.
He explained that that it is impossible to hoard a product that is scarcely available.
Gilly-Harris emphasised that PETROAN members would never engage in hoarding to worsen the plight of Nigerians while calling for collective efforts to address the ongoing fuel crisis.
‘‘For us at PETROAN, we can only dispense what is available to us. One of our cardinal rules in PETROAN is to sell whatever product is available without shortchanging members of the public. When we have products we will dispense in order to ease the pressure. So I am sure PETROAN is not being referred to here.
“Even in Abuja here and other parts of the country, the queues are all over the country. The products are just not available. This is the time for NNPC to up its game. It is very embarrassing that as an oil and gas producing country, we cannot guarantee supply of products for Nigerians,’’.
Gilly-Harris said PETRAON had made proposals to the Federal Government in the past by partnering with them to run one of the refineries through its technical and financial partners.
He said the association has been in discussion with the Federal Government in the last five years over the possibility of a partnership.
He lamented that PETRAON, unlike NNPC, doesn’t have access to the import of petroleum products due to challenges around forex and pricing which has been an obstacle for operators in the downstream sector.
Speaking during an inspection tour in Abuja at the weekend, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMDPRA, Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, warned filling stations to desist from compounding the fuel supply crisis in Nigeria.
Also on its X handle, the downstream regulator said it had declared war against the illegal sale of petroleum products.
“NMDPRA embarks on a war against the illegal sale of petroleum products, especially PMS in jerrycans. Filling stations are advised to desist from servicing illegal peddlers; failure to do so would result in the suspension of retail licences,” the agency stated.
