Fuel Scarcity Scare: No need for panic buying, NNPC tells Nigerians

Nigerians have been advised not to engage in panic buying of fuel as measures were being put in place to ensure constant adequate supply.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it would increase the February supply of petroleum products by providing six additional PMS cargoes of 37,000 tonnes each.

The move, among others, is part of measures to sustain supply of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) nationwide.

A statement by the Corporation’s spokesperson, Ndu Ughumadu, said the plan would also boost the NNPCs existing national PMS sufficiency of over 32 days.

Other measures put in place, according to the statement, include immediate importation of three additional Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) cargoes before the end of February and an order for massive 250 trucks per day loading of AGO and DPK, from across the three NNPC refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.

The   statement   explained further that the acting NNPC Group       Managing        Director,

Saidu Mohammed, who chaired an emergency meeting on the Corporation’s downstream operations where the measures were taken in Abuja, said NNPC would transmit the full list of marketers involved in off- taking AGO and DPK to the Department of State Services (DSS) for appropriate follow-up by the security agency to forestall possibility of any stakeholders engaging in foul play.

“(Mr.) Mohammed said the move to provide additional PMS cargoes of 37,000 tonnes each was to give further comfort and stability to the robust petrol sufficiency nationwide,” the statement said.

“Other measure the Corporation has taken, apart from ramping up fuel supply nationwide, is an expansion of daily truck load-out of petrol, diesel and kerosene, even during weekends to ensure improved products delivery to the hinterlands.

“The Corporation would provide additional marine logistics; all geared toward improving products movements from offshore to land, to cater for additional PMS supply nationwide.” (Premium Times)