Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) thursday called on Nigerian governors to aid the movement of petrol tankers in their domains to avoid a disruption in the supply of the product across the country.
This is coming as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Petroleum Products Pricing & Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to involve the leadership of IPMAN in consultation before any further reduction in petrol pump price.
NNPC, which particularly singled out Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, for doing well in that respect, stated that shocks will be experienced within the system if trucks are not allowed to move from the depots.
A press statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division at the NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, in Abuja, quoted the Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Musa Lawan, as also calling on Nigerians not to store the products in their houses to avoid fire outbreaks.
“NNPC under the leadership of the Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, was appreciative of initiatives like that (Wike’s) and appealed to other governors to rapidly intervene in such situations to avoid shocks in the fuel distribution and supply system across the country” it said.
The NNPC noted that the governor’s intervention, by way of relaxing the stay-at-home order as it affected petroleum tanker divers, went a long way in restoring normalcy to the fuel supply and distribution system in Rivers state and environs.
The corporation stressed that his timely intervention has resulted in the smooth distribution of petroleum products to Rivers and neighbouring states at the moment.
According to the statement, despite the stay-at-home order, vessels laden with petroleum products were berthing the shores of Nigeria to guarantee products supply continuity, assuring that the question of shortage of petroleum products does not arise at all.
“Everything in terms of petroleum products supply and distribution across the country has normalised.
“With respect to Port Harcourt, we had a grid lock about two days ago that built up around the Imo River which restricted movement of trucks and loading of petroleum products from Port Harcourt to neighbouring states” the organisation’s management said.
It added: “But as we speak, that gridlock has disappeared and we would like to thank His Excellency, Chief Nyesom Wike, for personally intervening with his team. Tankers can now go in and truck out petroleum products and deliver to neigbouring states,”.
The corporation appealed to motorists not to engage in panic buying of petroleum products, especially petrol.
It noted that with the ample supply of the products, there was no need for anybody to stock up the product in jerry cans to avoid the danger of inferno in homes.
Meanwhile, IPMAN has urged the PPPRA to involve its leadership in consultation before any further reduction in petrol pump price.
In a statement circulated to journalists in Abuja thursday, IPMAN’s National President, Mr. Sanusi Fari, also called on other federal agencies in the petroleum sector to carry IPMAN along in price fixing policy decisions.
Fari however, assured that members of the association will comply with the new price regime of N123.50 announced on Tuesday by the PPPRA, a downward review from the N125 price announced by the agency three weeks ago.
The IPMAN President said the marketers were already struggling with an earlier price cut from N145 to N125 before the latest review to N123.50k
The statement said, “We want the PPPRA and other relevant agencies to always carry us along as one of the major stakeholders in the downstream in future strategic decisions of this nature (reduction of pump price).
“The National Executive Committee, NEC, of IPMAN once more commends the federal government of Nigeria for the further reduction of pump price of PMS to N123.50k from N125 per litre.
“We remain grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for this approval, which will further lessen the burden on the masses. As law abiding citizens, our members shall comply immediately”.
