Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in different parts of the state on Thursday, reported that the number of filling stations that had the product to sell was reducing daily, while the few ones that had petrol in stock were capitalising on the scarcity to make excessive profits at the expense of consumers
Many filling stations have stopped selling the product on the excuse that they have no stock.
It was observed that the few stations that had the product in stock had very long queues of motorists and other consumers, who had to wait for hours to buy the product, thus compounding the already chaotic traffic situation in the metropolis.
As a result of this, most of the filling stations were selling petrol for as high as N150 per litre instead of the official price of N87 per litre.
Most of the filling stations had adjusted their pumps to reflect the new prices they fixed.
The strike by petroleum tanker drivers, who are members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, has grounded product loading at fuel depots across the country, thereby worsening the already bad petrol supply situation.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that the PTD had also succeeded in setting up a surveillance team to enforce its no loading directive to all members and to punish anyone caught flouting the directive.
The strike by the tanker drivers, according to market sources, is the major reason why most filling stations are without products.
Our correspondent also gathered that some depots went ahead to load products in disobedience to the PTD directive on Monday.
This, according to some marketers, informed the setting up of the surveillance team by the drivers’ union.
Two marketers, who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews, confirmed that petrol supply situation to filling stations from the depots had almost come to a halt.
One of the marketers said, “There is no improvement on the situation. Nothing is happening at the depots and nobody is saying anything to bring sanity to the mess in the system.
“The surveillance team of the PTD arm of NUPENG is going round the depots to ensure that nobody is loading.”
It was also gathered that some marketers had moved to Abuja to seek solutions to the lingering problem.
An industry source told our correspondent in confidence, “Some marketers are currently in Abuja waiting for the possibility of a meeting with key officials of the current government and the incoming government.”
When our correspondent contacted the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Olawore, on the telephone, he admitted to being in Abuja but would not disclose his mission to the seat of power.
“Nobody is talking to us about anything. It is true that I am in Abuja now, but I will soon be on my way back to Lagos,” he said.
But the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, insisted in a telephone interview with our correspondent that 1.2 billion litres of petrol had been pushed into the market from its last consignment.
He said with the current daily demand for petrol and the stock of the product with the corporation, there was enough petrol to service the country for another 20 days.
Alegbe said, “All the petrol the whole country has been consuming for a while now came from the NNPC. We have the product that can last for another 20 days pending when new consignments come in.
“I think whatever questions Nigerians have should be directed to the independent petroleum marketers and the major oil Markets; not us.”
Alegbe, who declined to make a categorical statement on the possibility of the marketers hoarding products, said it was crucial that Nigerians inquired from them the whereabouts of the product the NNPC had pumped into the system.
The instruction from the PTD to its members on Monday read, “Comrades/unit chairmen/executives you are directed to suspend all loading activities in all the depots as from Monday 18th May, 2015.
“There will be severe sanctions for any chairman/others that did not comply.”
Our correspondent had gathered that the tanker drivers were advised to take the action by the marketers, who were owed subsidy arrears of over N200bn by the Federal Government, in order to force the government to liquidate the debt.
The marketers are worried that they may lose money if the current government does not take full responsibility to liquidate the debt.
Despite the initial payment of N154bn by the Federal Government to the marketers, who in turn made a part payment to the transporters, the scarcity of petrol has persisted, grounding economic and social activities in the country.
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