Lagosians Panic As Fuel Scarcity Hits City...
Long queues have returned to filling stations in and around Lagos state as motorists in the metropolis besiege gas stations to purchase petroleum products.
A visit by our reporters to some of the petrol stations in Ikeja, Ojota and some other parts of the mainland today November 5, 2015, showed that most of the stations are locked-up in keys. The few filling stations that were opened are experiencing long queues.
Speaking with the manager of one of the outlets visited, who asked for anonymity, he informed that it is not that fuel is scarce; according to him, the marketers have reduced supply to his outlet.
He said: “It’s not that there is no fuel. We don’t understand why this is happening. Instead of them to supply us five lorry-loads of the product, what we eventually get is just one per week. I sincerely hope this would be quickly resolved.”
Also, a motorist who revealed that he had to leave his office to ‘fill-his-tank’ lamented that he has been on the queue for about an hour.
“I have been here for almost one hour now,” he complained. “Infact I had to quickly take permission from my office just to make sure I fill-up the tank of my car. I hope this situation will not get worse,” he lamented.
As a result of the fuel scarcity in Lagos, many Lagosians have been going through tough times to get to their work places and other destinations. This is due to reduced number of commercial vehicles on the roads.
However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday November 4, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of N413billiion to oil marketers, an outstanding payment for subsidy claims.
“It is our belief that with the outstanding payment due to Oil Marketers now assured, the marketers and other downstream players will join hands with the NNPC to guarantee that the nation remains wet with petroleum products all year round,” the Corporation said in a statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ohi Alegbe.
It would be recalled that Dr Ibeh Kachikwu, the group managing director of the NNPC and President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominee during his screening at the Senate session on Wednesday, October 14, stated that refineries in the country performing below 65% of capacity would be shut down in December.
A visit by our reporters to some of the petrol stations in Ikeja, Ojota and some other parts of the mainland today November 5, 2015, showed that most of the stations are locked-up in keys. The few filling stations that were opened are experiencing long queues.
Speaking with the manager of one of the outlets visited, who asked for anonymity, he informed that it is not that fuel is scarce; according to him, the marketers have reduced supply to his outlet.
He said: “It’s not that there is no fuel. We don’t understand why this is happening. Instead of them to supply us five lorry-loads of the product, what we eventually get is just one per week. I sincerely hope this would be quickly resolved.”
Also, a motorist who revealed that he had to leave his office to ‘fill-his-tank’ lamented that he has been on the queue for about an hour.
“I have been here for almost one hour now,” he complained. “Infact I had to quickly take permission from my office just to make sure I fill-up the tank of my car. I hope this situation will not get worse,” he lamented.
As a result of the fuel scarcity in Lagos, many Lagosians have been going through tough times to get to their work places and other destinations. This is due to reduced number of commercial vehicles on the roads.
However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday November 4, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of N413billiion to oil marketers, an outstanding payment for subsidy claims.
“It is our belief that with the outstanding payment due to Oil Marketers now assured, the marketers and other downstream players will join hands with the NNPC to guarantee that the nation remains wet with petroleum products all year round,” the Corporation said in a statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ohi Alegbe.
It would be recalled that Dr Ibeh Kachikwu, the group managing director of the NNPC and President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominee during his screening at the Senate session on Wednesday, October 14, stated that refineries in the country performing below 65% of capacity would be shut down in December.
