Fuel queues: group petitions the NNPC, petroleum minister over artificial scarcity

Concerned Nigerians, a civil society organization, has accused Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and Mele Kolo Kyari, Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), of complicity in the resurgence of fuel queues in filling stations across the country.

The group also claimed that the NNPC is aware of independent petroleum marketers who are artificially scaring the country’s petroleum supply.

It warned that hoarding fuel could throw the country’s economy into disarray, as it could lead to inflation.

Read Also:  Boko Haram: Gov Zulum chastised for claiming that terrorists truly repentant

The petition was signed by the National Coordinator, Deji Adeyanju in Abuja on Tuesday and copied to the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of NNPC. Recall that the Federal Government extended the timeframe for removal of fuel subsidy by additional 18 months, a development that had initially caused panic buying of petroleum products among Nigerians.

Adeyanju wondered why regulatory bodies have not been intervening in the situation, especially not deeming it fit to prevail on independent marketers. He lamented long queues across filing stations in the nation’s capital, adding that the marketers always shut down their gates by 6:00pm.

“As you may already know, in recent months, independent marketers of petroleum products have engaged in speculative acts of hoarding petroleum products, particularly PMS, in a bid to criminally increase the prices, cause artificial scarcity and plunge the country into widespread economic chaos.

“For example, filling stations across the nation’s capital are littered with long queues of vehicles seeking to purchase fuel, while the independent marketers ensure that their filling stations are shut for the day by 6pm.

Read Also:  Cult groups clash at Kwara University, resulting in two deaths, ten arrested

“What is, however, deeply worrisome is that the regulators have not deemed it necessary to call these independent marketers to order but continue to allow them take advantage of Nigerians. At a time when Nigerians are going through excruciating pain, an artificial fuel scarcity is the last thing they should worry about,” he stated.