* Marketers demand sustained product supply from national oil company
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) yesterday said it had fixed the glitch in petrol supply in the past few days in Lagos.
This was just as ensuing shortfall in petrol available at petroleum depots and filling stations generated human and vehicular queues at many retail outlets in Lagos and adjoining cities as residents struggle to buy the product.
A statement by the NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, explained that the problem emanated from one of the depots around the city.
It cautioned motorists against panic buying of the product so as not to exacerbate the supply challenge, assuring that effective today, the situation would be normalised.
“The NNPC Limited wishes to inform the general public that the tightness in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply witnessed in some filling stations in Lagos was as a result of an issue in one of the depots in the area.
“The NNPC Retail Limited, our retail arm, has since resolved the issue and effective tomorrow, normalcy in supply shall be restored within the affected area.
“The NNPC Limited calls on motorists in Lagos to avoid panic buying of PMS as all hands are on deck to sustain sufficiency in the supply of petroleum products in the area,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, petroleum marketers yesterday, blamed the development on the inability of the NNPC to supply the required volume of petrol to them since they all depend on the company as the sole importer to get products.
THISDAY gathered that several petrol stations, even those owned by the NNPCL, and the major marketers were in short supply and were either not dispensing or recorded long queues.
For instance, at the MRS filling station at Alaka, in Surulere, Lagos, there was long queue of motorists trying to buy fuel with no success. It was same thing at all the filling stations at Awolowo road, Ikoyi and other areas in Lagos.
It was speculated that the cause of the product shortage was due to the NNPCL’s inability to pay its subsidy backlog to oil traders since November and December last year.
Although some marketers said the supply hiccup had nothing to do with the said subsidy backlog, they however, said the subsidy regime was not helping the country.
The marketers also expressed hope that the situation would soon be over as the supplier makes more products available to them.
A marketer whose company is a member of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) formerly MOMAN, told THISDAY that they were waiting for more supply from NNPC, which is the only petrol supplier in the country.
He said they had limited product in stock which led to the panic buying and queues at the filling stations.
He said he had no clue as to why there was shortage in supply, saying he was only reading in the news that it had something to do with subsidy backlog.
“I really don’t know what the problem is. What I know is that we have not seen normal supply that we need. I don’t know the cause of their inability to send us enough product. I only read in the paper that subsidy backlog is what is causing the supply constraint”, the marketer stated.
He, however, confirmed that NNPC had given his company some volumes yesterday, which will keep them busy loading throughout this weekend.
He called on the NNPC to sustain supply to them so that enough product will be available to meet the demand and get the queues off the stations.
The marketer further stated, “We have got assurance that there would be improvement in supply, but it shouldn’t delay further so that the queues you are seeing can disappear.
“For instance, we have received today. We should be loading throughout the weekend. We can only hope that they continue the supply so that we can meet up. Because we are dependent on whatever they give us.”
Another marketer whose company belongs to the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), who pleaded anonymity, told THISDAY that only NNPC has answers to why there is scarcity of petrol in some parts of the country.
He specifically confirmed that there is shortfall in petrol supply.
He said once there was shortfall in supply, marketers who own depots and filling stations will restrict their products to only their stations.
He said the only remedy was for NNPC to ensure there is steady supply to private depot owners.
The DAPPMAN marketer explained, “I don’t have answer to why there is scarcity. The people who are the suppliers are the ones to answer. There is shortfall in supply, there is no two ways about it.
“If you are able to lay hands on marketers’ stock, you will see that the stock has gone down very low and once marketers’ have low stock like that, the next thing is to restrict products to their own stations branded in their names.
“So, all those IPMAN that will say they have two million petrol stations, let them go and collect theirs from NNPC. Until and except they give private depots like our own people, we may not get anywhere.
“I know that yesterday (Thursday) two vessels were discharging to major marketers. So let’s hope that they will also give our people.”
