The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Department of State Services have agreed to clear the queues for Premium Motor Spirit within the next 48 hours.
This was the outcome of the meeting with the key stakeholders in the midstream and downstream oil sector which held on Thursday.
At the meeting,the Department of State Services,DSS,ordered all the entities in Nigeria involved in the distribution process to make petrol available to Nigerians at official rate or face the wrath of the government.
The image maker of the DSS, Dr.Peter Afunanya,informed journalists at the end of the meeting that the agency would take steps to deal with elements who try to use artificial fuel scarcity to threaten national security.
The meeting also had the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, National Association of Road Transport Owners, among others.
Speaking,Clement Isong, the Executive Secretary, MOMAN, said operators would ensure that they implemented the decisions reached at the meeting.
“As these decisions are being implemented, the queues will subside. We have committed to work with NNPC to continuously improve operational efficiency in order to achieve operational excellence,” he said.
Femi Adewole, the Executive Secretary, DAPPMAN, said the foreign exchange challenge faced by depot owners was also discussed and efforts were on to address it.
He said, “The challenges to marketers, especially depot owners, were explained and the meeting agreed and actually noted the forex component challenge and its input into our cost, which we should in all ideal cases recover reasonably. That was agreed upon.
“We also agreed that based on the assurances of products given to marketers, provided by NNPC, we will ensure that, going forward, all depots work 24 hours, based on the security risks appraised.
“We will work 24 hours to ensure that the queues in town are reduced. Our retail outlets, spread nationwide, will also ensure that they sell 24 hours based on our security situation appraised. I want to assure Nigerians that going forward, they will be able to get fuel in filling stations without too much hitch or harassment.”
In his comment,Chinedu Okoronkwo, the IPMAN President,stated that marketers had been asked not to do anything that would jeopardise their licences, as the association had committed to that resolution.
He disclosed that another resolution that was reached at the meeting was that independent marketers would get products directly from NNPC.
He added:”That will make this product available within this 48 hours that we have been given. And I also want to tell you that NARTO, NUPENG and PTD are in concert with IPMAN to ensure that this product gets to every nook and cranny nationwide”
Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive, NMDPRA, said all parties had committed to ensuring supply and clearing the queues within the given time.
“We’ve heard from all the stakeholders on each of their individual commitments to ensuring adequate supply and distribution of petroleum products. And they reemphasised that the commitment is to take effect within 48 hours.
“So we are hoping that with the efficiency in the distribution, both by marine and trucking, in the next 48 hours the commitments will really start and hopefully we will see a positive environment, away from the difficult situation we are experiencing across the nation,” he stated.
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