News

Fuel Scarcity: Over 1.5bn litres of PMS Available To last for 30 days – Reps

Published

5 months ago

May 1, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…condemn activities of middlemen, vow to investigate root causes

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has revealed that there are about 1.5 billion litres of petrol that can last for 30 days available in the nation’s storage facilities.

The House further disclosed that the emergence of queues at filing stations across the country was as a result of logistics challenge, which is been resolved.

The Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Midstream, Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere and Chairman Committee on Downstream Petroleum, Rep. Odianose Okojie disclosed this at a media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.

Rep. Ugochinyere addressing newsmen stated: “On the Issue of the return of fuel queues, We have in the last few days reached out to the stakeholders in the petroleum distribution value chain; the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to mention a few. We have engaged extensively with them, with a view to ascertaining the cause of the resurgence of the fuel queues in petrol stations across the country.

“We hereby express our concerns over the temporary presence of fuel queues in petrol stations across the country. However, we are convinced that this is temporary based on our investigation and in a couple of days, we shall get over it.

“From our investigations, we have discovered that there is availability of petrol products. We have on good authority that we have in our storage facilities, at least, about 1.5 billion litres of petrol that can last for 30 days. It is however saddening to note that it is as a result of logistics challenge that the queues have resurfaced. These logistic issues range from difficulty experinced in transporting products from the mother vessels to onshore. Movement of products with marine shuttle vessels, disruption in the Escravos channels, etc”.

According to him, the House has resolved that going forward and in order to avert a recurrence of this temporary challenge of distribution disruption which have attendant economic pains and spiral effect on the general welfare of the Nigerian people.

The lawmaker strongly frowned at the activities of middlemen who have taken advantage of the short disruption of supply, to maximize profit and generate inordinate gain for themselves, and vowed that the House shall investigate the remote and immediate causes of the temporary disruption.

“As House of Representatives Committees which oversights activities of regulators and operators in the downstream and midstream petroleum sectors, We shall work with the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution chain, towards finding a sustainable solution in ensuring that we do not run into such avoidable disruption in the near future, which can hamper economic activities.

“We have gotten the assurances from the regulators in the distribution value chain that these bottlenecks have been cleared. In the course of this public holiday, more grounds will be covered. From our findings, the issues that necessitated the disruptions which led to the appearance of fuel queues in petrol stations have been cleared. Obviously, it will take a few more days for things to return back to normalcy. Therefore, we call on Nigerians not to panic over this development.

“It will require more time, like two to three days, for products to be distributed to all stations nationwide. As a Committee that is charged with downstream and midstream oversight, we have been monitoring this development. Also, in line with our legislative duties of over-sighting the downstream and midstream petroleum sector, we have been in touch with the key stakeholders, the regulatory bodies and the transport unions, with a view to ensuring that the products get to our people timeously and without further delay.

“At this juncture, we strongly frown at the activities of middlemen who have taken advantage of the short disruption of supply, to maximize profit and generate inordinate gain for themselves, at the detriment of our people. We hereby call on security forces to support the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution value chain, so as to ensure that such acts of economic sabotage that has to do with hoarding, arbitrary increment in price, products diversion and smuggling are detected and dealt with. Our people have been through a lot in the last few days and we must not plunge them into further pains. We appeal to all traders and those rendering services, not to unduly take advantage of this temporary challenge, which will be cleared in the next few days”, he added.

Hon Okojie who is the Chairman Midstream Petroleum Resources, also assured that the committee has engaged sufficiently with the appropriate authorities in terms of fuel distribution and as at today the report received suggest that the fuel queues have started reducing and products have started arriving the petrol stations.

He said: “We urge Nigerians not to engage in panic buying and being enmeshed in unnecessary rush to buy products. As a country we have a storage of over 1.5 billion litres which can last for over 30 days. Now products are arriving and more products are on the high sea. The challenges that caused the disruption was the logistics issues and that has been handled with the maritime shuttle vessels as we speak, which will move products to marketers who are on standby waiting to serve the people. The logistics issues has been resolved completely and hopefully supply to stations would increase in a few days. There is no need to panic. Fuel is available and soon distribution would begin. In another day or two, there would not be fuel queues anymore in the country”.

The committee Chairmen therefore wished all Nigerians and workers, a happy workers day, even as they assured that there is no cause for alarm.

“Products are available and will in few days be circulated across the country. As the people’s parliament and as a Committee of Midstream and Downstream, we would be awake to our legislative duties and ensure that all the timelines are met and kept. We shall also work with the stakeholders to ensure that the issues are fixed. Happy workers day”.

News

I Can’t Feed My Family Again; I Make N20,000 Daily But Spend N17,000 On Fuel — Taxi Driver Laments

Published

5 mins ago

September 20, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

A commercial driver identified as Wahab Ajibaye based in Ilorin, Kwara State has expressed frustration over the rising fuel prices, saying it has left him struggling to provide for his family.

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

He said: “I am buying fuel for N1100 and I make N20,000 (daily) but I take only N3,000 with me to my house (after work). I am the owner of my car but I am no longer making enough to cater to my children and my wife. The All Progressives Congress (APC) government will not end well. Nigeria is becoming worse and we pray God takes away this set of current leaders.”

Ajibaye blamed the ruling APC government for the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “Their government is bringing more suffering. They’re not ashamed, despite many Nigerians cursing them. They should rethink.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The party in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka had said this, while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Recall that Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement on Tuesday argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms had increased economic hardship in the country.

News

LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.

He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.

‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.

Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.

He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.

He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.

The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.

News

Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.

According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.

“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.

“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.

“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.

“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.

“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”