Following chronic shortages of petroleum goods and electricity supply, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed heartfelt condolences for the difficulty given to inhabitants of the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by his media adviser, Garba Shehu, the President stated that the issue of petroleum product shortages was one that the administration had successfully avoided in its seven years in office.
The president, who apologized to all citizens for the nationwide fuel and electrical shortages, promised that the problems will be resolved soon.
“The administration recognizes that the fuel crisis is putting a strain on Nigerian residents and businesses, but help is on the way,” he said. I sincerely apologize to everyone in society for this.
“The administration is working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to address this problem.
“To address the issue, an action plan agreed upon earlier this month is being implemented. This initiative is now bearing fruit, thanks to collaboration with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). In a few states, adequate gasoline supplies have returned, and lineups at gas stations have decreased. We expect this to be the situation across the remainder of the country in the following days.
“Funds are being directed toward keeping fuel availability inexpensive for the country in the long run.”
“International energy markets have risen dramatically in recent months; however, the government will ensure that consumers are safeguarded from these price increases.”
The president expressed his displeasure with reports of shady behavior at the country’s gasoline depots and among petrol station owners.
As a result, he directed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and the country’s entire security apparatus to take strong action against those responsible for such irregularities.
Mr Buhari commented on the nationwide electrical blackouts, saying, “The blackouts seen in the national grid are also being handled.” Seasonal constraints have caused a drop in hydroelectric power, which has coincided with technical and supply issues at thermal units. In this regard, the administration is working feverishly to rectify concerns at the latter in order to ensure that enough power flows into the national grid.”
Mr Buhari said that emergency measures had already been implemented following a meeting with key stakeholders to solve the country’s poor power generation.
He noted that the key difficulty has been recognized as low gas power output as a result of gas pipeline sabotage, which has resulted in power plant shutdowns, as well as ongoing normal maintenance on other gas power plants.
He further stated that actions have already been agreed upon by the parties in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to recover over 1000MW.
According to him, the National Integrated Power Project, NIPP plants, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, and power plants controlled by NNPC Joint Ventures, Agip, and Shell were the targets of these acts (NAOC and SPDC).
After the pipeline from “Okpai 1” was repaired, the president stated that progress on the essential steps had already assured the restoration of 375MW to the grid.
“To assure the sustainability of up to 800MW of unused NIPP assets, a USD 50 million Gas Supply arrangement is being finalized,” he added.
The president promised that the government’s efforts to address these issues will bear fruit soon.
