Oil marketers pledge to end queues nationwide

Oil marketers on Friday said they have dispatched 700 trucks of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), to Abuja as part of efforts to end fuel queues at filling stations nationwide.

This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting they held in Abuja with the Federal Government and other stakeholders in oil and gas sector.

The meeting was held to find lasting solution to the persistent queues at filling stations across the country.

In the communiqué signed by Mr Taiye Haruna, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the marketers agreed to begin to move products to all parts of the nation with immediate effect.

It stated that the meeting was tagged “Queue must go stakeholders’ platform.’’

It stated that Petroleum Products Marketing Company in conjunction with marketers, major and independent, have agreed to increase the level of supply to all retail outlets nationwide with immediate effect.

It also stated that the meeting also directed marketers to move 700 trucks of petrol to Abuja with immediate effect.

It noted that one of the major constraints to distribution was the logjam at Apapa –Oshodi expressway in Lagos.

“We have agreed to work with the Lagos State Government, Petrol Tanker Drivers (PTD) and NARTO to clear the logjam at Apapa.

“Currently we have over 2,000 trucks on that road waiting to take fuel at the depot.

“Trucks are at Apapa to load products but could not get product but we fashioned out modality to clear the logjam in conjunction with other stakeholders,” it stated.

The communiqué further stated that the measure would enable the marketers start loading and moving products out of the depot to the hinterland.

“We have enough stocks that can last for 23 days; also we agreed to set up the committee of stakeholders to monitor the loading and delivering of products nationwide.

“We have also agreed that efforts will be made to clear this long before the end of June”, the communiqué declared.
It further stated that the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) would track all the trucks from Apapa using the Aquila project to avoid diversion of the products.

“DPR is to ensure that products are delivered and selling proceeds should not be more than N87 per litre.
“Government will not relent in their efforts to ensure that the challenge become a thing of the past.

“All stakeholders have agreed to clear the queue before the end of next week,” it stated
According to the communiqué, it was also agreed that a task force comprising all stakeholders was being set up to look into the distribution of PMS nationwide.

The meeting was attended by Executive Secretary, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Femi Olawore and Chief Lawson Obasi led Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

Others included Executive Secretary Depot & Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Mr Femi Adewole; Mr George Osahon, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The rest were Executive Secretary, PEF, Mrs Asabe Ahmed; the Executive Secretary Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPRA) Mr Farouk Hamed and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) representative, Dr David Ige, GED Gas and Power. (NAN)