By Ayoni M. Agbabiaka
Abuja
To support the NNPC’s supply chain, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has begun a tour of gas stations in Abuja to ensure seamless sales of the product to commuters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as queues resurface.
Leading a delegation of IPMAN executives, the assistant secretary, Alhaji Muhammed Shuaib, said, there was no cause for alarm as the situation is under control.
He gave the assurance that the price of fuel “will remain the same and there is no need for panic-buying.
“Of course, you can see the situation has improved; we are members of IPMAN, Suleja Depot; we are here to ensure that our members comply with the situation because we just have supply now from Suleja Depot.
He attributed the short fall in supply from NNPC to the sudden queues in filling stations across Abuja.
“All this while, we didn’t have the product; so, all we are doing is bridging. Now, they have started giving us the product. That is why we have to follow up to complement the efforts of the NNPC. We appreciate our members because they are doing what we want them to do. The queue is reducing,” he assured.
However, he appealed “to the government to see how they can assist our members to get this product so that we can solve this problem because we don’t need this type of queue at this time. Scarcity is not what we need in this country.”
On possible increase in pump price, Shuaib said: “The situation on ground is that, most of the bridging depots don’t have the product and where we go to get this product is private depot. The prices have increased.”
Deputy Manager, Shema Filling Station, Aliu Seidu Marafa, also attributed the quick disappearance of the queue to the NNPC intervention, saying “they sent truck today, day before yesterday and yesterday; the NNPC intervention is good if only they can continue to give us two trucks every day.”
Manager, A.A Rano, on Kubwa expressway, Sani Ayuba, said “before if you came as early as six o’ clock you could not get fuel, but now if you come like 20 minutes you get your fuel and go.”
One of the motorists, Toby Udeh Edith, said: “I don’t think there is much problem, I have just been here like 15 minutes and I have already bought fuel. I think by next week everything would have been solved.”
Another motorist, Mr. Alex Ebih, said: “There is no increase in the pump price. I assure Nigerians that fuel will be sufficient for everybody; they should be patient.”
