MASSES URGE FG TO SOLVE LINGERING FUEL SCARCITY
The Federal Government has been called upon to protect the masses from the present agony of the shortage of petroleum products by making the commodity available.
The Chairman Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Enugu Depot, Mr Chinedu Anyaso made the call while speaking with newsmen on the high cost of fuel in the zone.
According to him, there is the need to resuscitate all the refineries across the country and the Federal Government should come out clear on the issue of oil subsidy to enable Nigerians plan their activities.
He said that the NNPC has not been supplying fuel to independent marketers for a very long time, forcing them to source for the product from private tank Farm owners who sell at an exorbitant price.
Mr Anyaso explained that as at 31st of December 2022, marketers were buying the product at the cost of 237 Naira per litre then pay 3 Naira loading cost and 15 Naira for transportation which brings the landing cost to about 260 naira per liter depending on location.
He regretted that despite the high cost ,getting the product was becoming very difficult as most private tank Farm owners were not selling to marketers.
The IPMAN Chairman blamed the latest development on the NNPC who has the monopoly of refining and importing the product into the country but has not lived up to expectations.
Mr Anyaso noted that if the NNPC had imported enough products as they always claim, petrol would be available and thereby force the price of the commodity down.
He hinted that almost all the twenty one federal government-owned depots across the country had been moribund including that of Enugu which had not been operational for over 20 years.
The Chairman of IPMAN Enugu Depot however expressed the hope that with promises from the new Managing Director NNPC Retail, the narrative will change within the shortest Period.
“Federal Government should Flood the Market with products, definitely the price will come down. They promised us that the Port Harcourt refinery is going to come on stream and we have not seen that, Warri refinery, Kaduna refinery nothing, Dangote refinery said early this year, we are equally watching, once these refineries are producing optimally, it will solve the problem of local petroleum needs of the country” Mr Chinedu Anyaso Added.
