The task force set up by the Kwara State security council on fuel scarcity on Saturday monitored the situation in some fuel stations in Ilorin, the state capital.
During the monitoring exercise, Jerry cans containing hoarded petrol were impounded in some fuel stations with the task force cautioning against such acts.
Recall with 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝕸𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖆 that the task force headed by the Deputy Governor of the state, Kayode Alabi, was approved by Governor Abdul Rahman Abdulrazaq to wade into the lingering fuel crisis which has crippled socio-economic activities across the country.
Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, led the task force which visited several fuel stations in Ilorin metropolis on Saturday.
Major filling stations that were not dispensing to the satisfaction of motorists, tricycle and motorcycle operators, were directed to do so with immediate effect and under close supervision, according to a statement issued by the deputy governor’s spokesperson, Modupe Joel.
The task force also ensured that stations, which hoarded fuel before, started dispensing, an action that eased the stress arising from the scarcity being experienced in recent times.
The federal government of Nigeria has directed depot operators to sell premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol at the official price of N172 per litre to independent markets.
This follows the supply of over 150 million litres of petrol to the Ijegun tank farm in Lagos State, which accounts for up to 35 per cent of national consumption volume, making it critical in ending the distribution crisis.
Officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) gave this directive while speaking on 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘’ known Media while on a site inspection to the Ijegun Tank farm on Friday.
NMDPRA also assured that independent fuel marketers under the aegis of Independent Petrol Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) will now get petrol at the ex-depot price of N172 per litre like their major marketers’ counterparts.
This will enable them sell petrol at N184 per litre in the West and South or N194 in the Northern parts of the country as approved by the regulator.
Ripples Nigeria had reported, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mele Kyari, stated that government has earmarked N3.36 trillion to spend on subsidy for January to June.
He further noted that there was no need for marketers to sell above the pump price as the government had been paying at least N185 for every litre of petrol.
Kyari’s words: “We transfer products to oil marketing companies at N113 per litre so that we can establish a market price of N170.
This was a year ago. That is the basis of all the estimates, now there are some adjustments that have brought us to the reality of the cost of vessels that I have mentioned over and over and that adjustment took us to a different level in terms of logistics. But what NNPC has kept is the transfer price from our landing location to the marketing companies.
“So, yesterday’s (February 6) data showed that these products will land in this country at N295 per litre, which means you have to sell it at N113 to the marketing companies so that they will be able to maintain the current subsidy regime that we are running. It means that you have N185 per litre of subsidy on every product that comes into this country.
“If you look at the average we have done of 63 million litres from January 2023 till date, and convert it to 365 days, that means you need N4.2 trillion to meet the fuel subsidy requirements for the country.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday expressed hope that this year’s general elections would take place as scheduled despite the current situation in the country.
Obasanjo, who spoke when members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) visited him at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the elections are of great importance to the international community, and as such Nigerians cannot take it less seriously.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed February 25 for the presidential and National Assembly elections while the governorship and State House of Assembly polls will take place on March 11.
There are insinuations that the commission would postpone the elections over the fuel and naira scarcity in the country.
Obasanjo said: “We cannot take it (election) any less important than those people from the international community.
“We are in an interesting period in Nigeria. In less than three weeks, we will be going to the poll. I hope nothing will intervene against that. In less than three weeks, we will be electing a leader that will pilot the affairs of Nigeria for the next four years from May.
“And all of us in Nigeria, again, as I have said to you early this morning, I have been in Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire from the beginning of the week. I can tell you that they are as concerned about what happens in Nigeria as every Nigerian should be.
“Last night before I left Abidjan, President Ouattara (Alassane) told me the position in West Africa that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are vying for and he said to me, ‘well, we are putting it on hold until after Nigeria’s election.
“So even for them, Nigeria’s election is of importance. And I believe that for us who are directly involved, we cannot take any less important than those people.”
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, on Wednesday, accused petroleum marketers of frustrating the Federal Government’s efforts at making petrol available to Nigerians.
Sylva, who addressed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, said the government has done everything required to make the product available to Nigerians but the efforts were thwarted by the marketers. Watch Video Here
The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari was worried over the long queues at petrol stations across the country
He, however, assured the citizens that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and other stakeholders were working hard to address the problem. Watch Video Here
Queues in filling stations surfaced in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other parts of the country in the latter part of last year with marketers selling the products at between N200 and N250 per litre to the surprise of Nigerians.Watch Video Here
Sylva said: “At the moment today, there is supply but unfortunately, we are experiencing some bottlenecks in the distribution and movement of the product to various destinations.
“We have reports of profiteering by marketers and I have directed the pricing regulatory agency, Nigerian Midstream, and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to sanction anybody who profiteers in this kind of situation.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, has said that the prolonged queues across the filing stations in the country as a result of fuel scarcity was not unique to Nigeria.
Kyari, who spoke on a Channels Television’s interview, 2023 Verdict on Tuesday night, admitted things were out of control, branding the fuel scarcity in the country as a “glitch” to be resolved soon.
The NNPCL boss blamed the development on paucity of supply, saying they were on top of the situation.
He thus apologized to Nigerians on the crisis and assured it would ease soon.
“Having fuel queues is really not something that is local to any one country. It happens everywhere – whenever you have either breaches of pipes, pipeline issues, and so on,” Kyari said.
“We don’t hope that this happens to our country but you must have guarantee of supply in your country, which is why we are focused on delivering our refineries rehabilitation projects, so that ultimately this product becomes close to us.
“We have no benefit in doing this. We are families. We are members and part of this community. We are very proud of this country.
“We would like this country to prosper. We don’t want Nigerians to suffer and of course as a matter of condition, we don’t think that anyone should go through this thing.
“Now, this hasn’t happened. The refineries’ rehabilitation is not completed. The Dangote Refinery hasn’t taken off. Both of them will happen; once that happens, you have the safety and security of supply near you.
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“I’m not saying that you’re going to have zero queues within the next one week. No, I can’t guarantee that because a number of things are out of our control.”
“I apologise for the situation. On behalf of all of us, the stakeholders in the oil and gas industry. Definitely, not surely exclusive. Having said this, it is unfortunate. It’s a glitch and we are responsible to resolve this glitch.
Nigerians have been thrown into untold hardship courtesy of severe fuel scarcity in the country, with attendant implications for the economic activities of Nigerians
In light of the protests springing up in different parts of the country as a result of fuel and cash scarcity emanating from naira redesign policy, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has charged Nigerian government to come up with decision solutions.
The recent redesign of currency leading to the scarcity of naira had frustrated Nigerians into brutal protests, especially in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan and Ondo.
Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to address the crisis within seven days, the policy has continued to take its toll on vulnerable Nigerians.
Garba, who commented on the development in a series of tweets on Tuesday, condemned Nigerian government’s inactiveness on the crises.
The former lawmaker said the policy as well as the biting fuel scarcity, if not decisively looked into, might truncate the progress and democracy of the country.
He wrote: “Everything needs to be done by the government to fix the Naira/Fuel scarcity issue and stop the ongoing protest in Abeokuta. I learned that Ondo is planning the same. South West is a beacon of our democracy and we should not forget the history of how Operation Wetie started.
“We must remind ourselves that no one will get anything when Nigerians are not happy. Not the Government, the politicians, the opposition, or the public If the policy is not working, then it is simply not working. It should be reserved, carefully planned, and re-implemented.
“We should avoid any tension or unnecessary grandstanding that could lead to the truncation of our peace, prosperity, or worst of all, our democracy.
They are Tricycles Owners Association of Nigeria (TOWAN), National Association of Traders of Nigeria (NASTAN), Commercial Motorcycles Association of Nigeria (COMAN).
Others include Market Women Association of Nigeria (MAWAN), Trailer Drivers Association of Nigeria (TADAN), and Luxurious Bus Operators Union (LUBOU).
The unions have put their members nationwide on alert to join the protest if nothing was done to end the scarcity.
The associations said they would continue to occupy the NNPCL Towers in Abuja until the problem was fixed.
They also threatened not to make their vehicles available to transport Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) materials for the elections.
The unions complained that the lingering fuel shortage had placed them in an unbearable condition.
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Worried over the biting fuel scarcity in Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke has announced the composition of a Special Monitoring Team to look into the deepening distribution and pricing challenges.
The Special Monitoring team according to a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, the Spokesperson to the Osun State Governor is to be headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Kazeem Akinleye with members drawn from the Nigeria Police, DSS, Army, IPMAN, NLC, TDU.
The statement also revealed that the team is to immediately commence monitoring the distribution of PMS from point of delivery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to various discharge outlets in Osun State.
While expressing unhappiness about the hardship facing the people of the state, Governor Adeleke assured that the state government will support federal agencies and private sector operators to address the issues behind the continued fuel scarcity in the state.
“I urge the Monitoring Team to liaise with the major marketers for collaboration with the independent marketers to ensure that products are circulated across the state.
“We will look into this fuel scarcity. We can’t fold our arms with our people facing so much hardship”, Governor Adeleke assured.
𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝕸𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖆 had reported the resurgence of queues in fuel stations across the state particularly in the capital, Osogbo.
Many fuel stations have had to lock up since there was no product to sell and those with the product were forced to sell at exorbitant amounts.
Car owners, both private and commercial while lamenting their ordeal blamed the government for not having structures on ground to cushion the perennial fuel scarcity.
They complained that they had to stay in queues for hours unending and some even miss business opportunities and lose money due to the hours spent to get their tanks filled.
Some even alleged that the scarcity is an artificial one occasioned by the coming general elections and aimed at subjecting the masses to undue hardships and torture.
According to a report by 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘’ known Media, hundreds of angry Nigerians have staged a protest over fuel scarcity in Benin.
They blocked roads in Benin City, the Edo State Capital, Southwest Nigeria on Monday, over the protracted fuel scarcity and hike in the price of the product.
A video of the protest seen by SaharaReporters on Monday morning shows fires on the road with thick smoke billowing from the burning materials.
A voice narration in the video said, “This is happening live in Benin City, Edo State capital; huge protest going on over fuel crisis. You can see protesters block roads and making fire on the roadblocks.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol had gone up, with some fuel stations selling for as high as N400 per litre.
The official cost of the product used to be N165 per litre before recent reports accuse the government of quietly increasing it to N185 per litre. But due to the scarcity of the product and the rising demand, many fuel stations have been selling for between N340 and N400 per litre.
The scarcity of the product is currently causing untold hardship for Nigerians.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Buhari recently set up a 14-man committee that he would be heading to proffer solutions to the lingering fuel scarcity.
The committee according to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylvia, will be chaired by the President as the Minister of Petroleum Resources while he will be the alternate chairman.
The committee’s job is to address the challenges in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, causing petrol scarcity in Nigeria.
It will also track petroleum products, especially petrol to ascertain daily national consumption and eliminate smuggling.
In October 2022, Sylva said Nigeria was losing at least 700,000 barrels of crude oil to thieves daily.
The minister said this through the Permanent Secretary in the petroleum resources ministry, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, who represented him at the 2002 graduation of students of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI)
In Abeokuta, there are extremely long queues at the few filling stations where the product is available.
Motorists spend hours queuing for petrol, which they buy at prices above N300 in most filling stations.
“Fuel is scarce. I just bought one litre at N350. It was like a war to get the fuel. I spent four hours before I finally got four litres,” a commercial motorcyclist told our correspondent while negotiating the cost of transporting him from FMC to Okemosan, Abeokuta.
It was observed that many filling stations in the State capital have been under lock and key for weeks.
Artisans like barbers, welders, printers and others who depend on electricity to do their daily works are bitter over their inability to buy fuel.
Their problem was compounded by the failure of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company to supply power for more than 10 days now.
While saying they have never depended on the power distribution company, the artisans condemned the Federal Government for failing to find a solution to the lingering fuel problem for several months.
“At the moment, barbers and others have increased the cost of their services, while drivers and okada riders charge double their usual transport fare,” Adewale Semiu, a resident of Isale Igbein said.
Likewise, the majority of private car owners have resorted to commercial means of transportation as they could not buy fuel.
Many Ogun residents said the fuel crisis is affecting commercial activities in the State and having its toll on traders and buyers alike.
Coincidentally, the fuel crisis is hitting harder with the scarcity of the new naira notes, two situations the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu said were targeted at him to scuttle his chances
Residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, have been badly hit by the recent scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also called petrol and its resultant increase in the pump price of the product.
Many Imolites are lamenting how the rising price of fuel (petrol) is creating ripple effects on the cost of other essential needs, such as food, transportation, clothing, among others.
During 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘’ known Media visit to some filling stations on Thursday, it gathered that the product was sold between N350 and N400 per litre as against the official pump price of N185.
The development has brought untold hardship to residents who are now appealing to the relevant authorities to address the problem.
A foodstuff seller at Eke-Ukwu Owerri market, Ogechi Iwu told 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘’ known Media that she watched her customers grapple with escalating prices over the past months.
“Rice, garri, onions, noodles, everything has risen in price. Some have more than doubled, others have jumped by various percentages due to high cost of transportation caused by fuel hike,” she said.
Some motorists narrated how filling stations within the State have continued to hoard the products, making the situation tougher for residents.
A commercial bus driver, Chijioke Aneke said black market operators around Egbu road, among others, hawk and dangle the product at almost every corner at a very high price.
“One litre of petrol is sold for as high as N600,” he lamented.
A commercial taxi driver, Emeka Chijindu said the hike in fare was completely inevitable, stressing “We buy petrol at N350/litre, some places, N400/litre.”
He said new tyres that were N7,000 are now N35, 000. I can go on. If we don’t increase transport fares, it’s simple pure business suicide.”
He said they were much bothered about availability of fuel for purchase than the price increase.
“We are all managing to survive. We feel commuters’ pains but we can’t help it. It’s the country we found ourselves in,” he said.
Other residents took a serious swipe at the Federal Government, accusing it of plunging Nigerians into abject poverty.
Chizy Onyeocha, a student of Alvan Ikoku College of Education, expressed dissatisfaction regarding the hike in fuel pump price stating that “after ASUU went on strike which affected all public universities, we are now faced with fuel price and scarcity; how are students expected to survive?”
She condemned the sharp increment in petrol prices, saying it’s another devastating moment for the welfare of Nigerian students, which in turn affects their academic activities.
She said, “I live a bit far from the school, around Akwakuma junction but before I can get to school I need to take a bus of N150 which was initially N50. It now costs nothing less than N300 in a day. I don’t have any more savings,” she lamented.
Also, a Mass Communication student of Imo State University, Daniel Chukwuyere said some students are selective in attending lectures since the cost of transportation is becoming unbearable and they have no option.
Chukwuyere urged the government to do something about it before it gets out of hand.
A trader, Ngozi Okwara grumbled that the situation led to a hike in the cost of transportation.
She explained that “from Akwakuma Bus Stop to the new market was N100. Now, we pay N200. To bring back the goods to my shop with a drop, from the bush market, used to cost me about N3,500 to N5,500 some months ago. Now, I pay as much as N8,500 for the same quantity of goods.”
She further said, “When we complain, the drivers blame it on the increase in fuel price. To recoup what I spent bringing the goods from the market, I adjusted the prices of my wares as well. I slightly increased the price of every item so that I can make a profit.”
Reacting to the ugly development, the Imo State Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Dr. Chidiebere Okoroafor, who spoke through the phone, said It’s a national issue which is not peculiar to Imo State alone.
While appealing for calm he said, “Everybody should take things easy, let’s see how we can manage the situation in a few months’ time.
“I appeal to the FG to ensure our refineries come back. They have promised us severally that they will start functioning soon, once the refineries are functional, all this anomaly will stop.
“I’m speaking to you from Abuja, you need to see the queue because it’s not something that has to do with Imo State alone. These people have promised us that they will bring in more products and supply will improve, let’s see how it goes. It’s not a permanent situation. I want to use this platform to appeal to Imo people to please endure for a while.”
A group under the aegis of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to purge the National Nigerian Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL of corrupt and incompetent leadership.
This was contained in a statement on Thursday by the group’s Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu,
The group commended the move by Buhari to end fuel scarcity in the country by setting up a 14-man steering committee.
CNPP added that if the country’s fuel situation must be addressed, the management of NNPCL should be revamped.
“The first step to salvage the oil sector is to cleanse the newly incorporated NNPC Limited of the inherited corrupt management team currently overseeing the company.”
“It is impossible to have the same people, who created the problem that manifests today as fuel scarcity, find solution to the problem which was created due to incompetence and intention to corruptly enrich a few,” the CNPP stated
The transporters also lamented the blockade, while expressing dissatisfaction over the incident.
A trader, Grace Emmanuel who was taking her good to Ekiadolor said it was pertinent for her to take her perishable good to where she would sell them so that she doesn’t incur losses.
“It is unfortunate that this protesting is taking place because it will add to the existing problem. If I don’t get my good to where I will sell them, some might get worse and I will incur losses which I don’t want at this time.
“They are protesting for the right reasons. The fuel situation is hitting hard on everybody but blocking the roads will lead to losses to individuals who are going to do business,” she added.
A driver who gave his name as Osahon said the protest has left most people stranded in the axis while calling on the government to look into what is causing the fuel crisis in the country
The growing cost of food items in the nooks and crannies of Taraba State, has no doubt become a source of concern to the people of the state.
Some consumers who expressed concern over the current high prices of food items across the state, were observed to have urged the governments at all levels to as a matter of urgency intensify measures to address the situation.
Speaking with 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘’ known Media on Tuesday in Jalingo and its environs, the situation as made known by them has begun to make life unbearable for them.
The people who tied the sharp increase in the pump price of petrol to the apron string of the high cost of food stuff, want the government to devise ways of wading in so as to cushion the untold hardships the masses are presently undergoing.
Reeling out the current prices of the various food items in Jalingo main market, Azubuike Innocent, who claimed that the “situation has become too bad” believed that it is “not too late for the government to come in.”
The government, as suggested by him, “can come to the rescue of the poor masses by purchasing enough quantities of food and selling them to the masses at a subsidised price.”
“Just like the way they use to bring in fertilisers in large quantities and sell to farmers at a cheaper price, I believe they can as well do the same by purchasing and selling the foodstuffs to those of us who are finding it difficult to maintain our families at a cheaper price,” he said.
Aligning her weight to that of Innocent, Hajiya Hassana Umar, told our correspondent that the present economic situation of the state, is telling negatively “on all of us.”
Stressing that the situation “doesn’t want to know the religion you are practising or the political party you belong or the language you speak” voting credible leaders in the forthcoming general elections, she believed would be the surest way out of the present predicaments.
Hassana, who was also of the view that the current price of petrol pump price has also contributed immensely “to what we are right now passing through in this state and the country as a whole” called on the incumbent governments at the state and the country to redeem their battered images “by addressing all these nonsense before leaving the office.”
The lamentation songs of Innocent, Hassana and other respondents who bared their minds to 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘’ known Media in Jalingo, were observed to have no difference with persons from other local government councils of the state who spoke with our correspondent
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on security agencies to intervene and end fuel scarcity.
This is as Nigerians buy petrol at N350 per litre.
Daily Sun reported that President Muhammadu Buhari has now approved the constitution of a 14-man committee to immediately end the nightmare and return tranquillity to the rancorous downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
The committee, which the President Chairs in his capacity as the Minister of Petroleum Resources has Mr Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State as the alternate chairman.
Other members of the committee are the Minister of Finance and Permanent Secretary; Ministry of Petroleum Resources, National Economic Adviser to the President, Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Member (EFCC), and Commandant-General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
The Steering Committee is composed of the Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission; Nigerian Midstream and Member Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Special Advisor (Special Duties) to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources while the Technical Advisor (Midstream) to the Minister of State Petroleum Resources will serve as Secretary.
Sylva in a statement said the Steering Committee would ensure the transparent and efficient supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country.
Other terms of reference are to ensure national strategic stock management, visibility on the NNPC Limited refineries rehabilitation programme and ensure end-to-end tracking of petroleum products, especially petrol to ascertain daily national consumption and eliminate smuggling.
Sylva said he had directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to ensure strict compliance with the government-approved ex-depot and retail prices for PMS.
The minister has further directed the NMDPRA to ensure that NNPC Limited, which is the supplier of last resort meets the domestic supply obligation of PMS and other petroleum products in the country.
He emphasised that the interest of the ordinary Nigerian must protected from price exploitation on other deregulated products such as AGO and DPK and LPG.
“The Federal Government will not allow misguided elements to bring untold hardship upon the citizenry and attempt to discredit government’s efforts in consolidating the gains made thus far in the oil and gas sector of the economy,” the statement added
The House of Representatives has asked Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to collaborate with Nigerian Police Force and DSS to clamp down on petroleum retailers that are selling above the regulated price.
The lawmakers asked NNPC Limited to end the artificial scarcity within the next week. These resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Saidu Abdulahi during Tuesday’s plenary session.
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The lawmaker said intelligence at the disposal of the government shows the shortage is a result of deliberate sabotage by some elements. He added that some fuel stations sell for as high as N300 per litre in some states.
“Most of those fueling stations have resorted to selling fuel at over N300 per litre. It is observed with dismay that those who are gaining from this artificial fuel scarcity appear to be smiling home as a result of this ugly development and this has the potency to provoke innocent Nigerians against the Government,” he articulated,
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A former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has disclosed that the agency’s 48-hour ultimatum to oil marketers to make fuel available for Nigerians, prevented a state of anarchy across the country.
“The DSS is charged with providing intelligence for the maintenance of the internal security of this country. You will recall #OccupyNigeria; if you continue to see people in queues, the tendency for people to rise against the government is there. In contrast, there is fuel”.
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The governor also denied the allegation of burning the venue approved by his administration for the PDP Presidential Campaign Council to hold its Presidential Campaign rally.
Pastor Adewale Giwa of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry has called on Nigerians not to vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2023 general elections due to the persistent fuel crisis engulfing the country
The cleric, while delivering a sermon in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said considering the dire straits Nigeria has been plunged into, those in the right frame of their minds should be able to discern what choices to make regarding power in 2023.
Giwa criticised the electorate, saying they failed to allow God to choose who should lead them in 2015, having been deceived by evil-minded politicians who appeared in the gab of angels.
Using the prevailing fuel scarcity to buttress his sermon, he said: “In less than 25 days to the end of 2022, fuel scarcity is biting harder, hitting major Nigerian cities, especially Abuja and Lagos.
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“More worrisome is that the Nigerian government and fuel marketers have offered varying narratives for the prevailing fuel scarcity that has affected most states across the country for weeks without reprieve.
“While the NNPC said the queues in Lagos and Abuja are largely due to ongoing “road infrastructure projects” around Apapa and access road challenges in some parts of Lagos depots, major marketing group IPMAN insists that it was as a result of high prices imposed by fuel depot owners who help the NNPC in storing the product”.
While admonishing his congregation on the polity, he said, “please, get your PVC ready to vote out the APC without looking back. May God not allow them to take us back to Egypt again.
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Hopes that worsening fuel queues experienced in Abuja and some other cities may soon wear out, was on Wednesday dimmed as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Slyva again attributed the challenges associated with fuel supply to the forces of deregulation and distribution chain system largely controlled by independent oil marketers.
He said the Federal Government, through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC Limited, has ensured adequate supplies of fuel products but marketing outlets bent on shortchanging the populace by hiking the price are largely responsible for the crisis.
Sylva’s clarifications came on Wednesday, shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari before his departure to Senegal for the IDA summit.
His explanations came just as the Federal Executive Council equally approved the award of contracts and procurement for the provision of a conference hostel facility in Yenagoa adjacent to the Nigerian content towers for the sum of N22 billion.
The project was awarded to Megastar technical construction company with a construction timeframe of 24 months.
Reacting to the fuel queues, he said, “Of course, I was expecting that question. Frankly, it is not a supply issue, as you can also confirm. So it’s not from us. But you know When you have an arbitrary opportunity, people will tend to take advantage of it. These are some of the fallouts of the subsidy regime.
“If you look at it, there are no queues when you leave Abuja, in most places, only in the Abuja metropolis you continue to have these queues. Is it that there is less supply to Abuja than to the rest of the country? It is not so. It is because if you go out of Abuja, they can afford to probably sell at higher prices. And I’m sure a lot of you must be buying at higher prices, within Abuja, because of the watchful eyes of the federal government, they cannot sell at those prices.
“So it’s not a very attractive market for them. I think these are all the things that we might have to be dealing with for a while until we’re able to fully deregulate.
“But that actually is the problem, it’s not a supply problem, the country is well supplied as it is. NNPC has a very good supply. So it is not a problem from us, but it is the marketers. But we are engaging the marketers and will continue to engage them. In fact, before now NATO said, Oh, because diesel prices were now going up. And of course, you know that diesel is deregulated already.
“So, because diesel prices have gone up, the cost of their moving product has also gone up and therefore, we must try to do something about the bridging cost. We did that with them, we were able to respond to that and they were able to do something for NATO.
“Of course, the rest of the marketers are also saying oh no, we must try to add a few things for them here and there. But we can’t continue as a government to increase the subsidy we cannot continue to do that. Because of that, they are now saying Okay, in this Abuja metropolis where they feel it is right at the centre, they are not probably supplying the product as they are supplying to other places. But you will agree with me that there are no queues outside Abuja.
“I don’t know whether there are queues in some places in Lagos, but the queues are reported mostly in Abuja, and in some parts of Lagos not every part of Lagos, wherever they think they can sell at higher prices. There are no queues.
“But wherever they cannot sell at prices higher than the recommended price there are queues. that is the situation we find ourselves for now.
“We are still dealing with that, we are engaging them. And of course, I’m sure even that is going to be taken care of, but it is not a supply problem from the government”.
Commenting on the demise of the outgoing Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC, Muhammad Barkindo, the Minister said the late Scribe of OPEC would be remembered for helping to stabilise the oil and gas industry.
“This is quite a sad one. Alhaji Barkindo was a dear friend and really served this country, both in Nigeria and internationally. meritoriously. Yesterday, Mr. President received him in audience and directed that we give him a very benefiting welcome home. Unfortunately, and of course, yesterday he was also at the Nigerian oil and gas conference, I was with him there, and he made a very brilliant speech as was characteristic of him. To hear that by this morning, he was already gone. It’s very sad news for all of us.
“Barkindo has contributed a lot. He was GMD of NNPC, as you know, and he helped to stabilize the oil industry. He is a very, very towering figure in the oil industry. And from there, he proceeded to become the Secretary-General and represented Nigeria very effectively, and served meritoriously for the full two terms, and was coming home, of course, and was here to be received, and we were really trying to roll out the drums for him according to Mr. President’s directive, and unfortunately, this sad event happened last night.
“My heart goes to his family and to all of us and to Nigerians for this very great loss”.
Despite assurance by the Federal Government that the persistent fuel scarcity in the country would soon be a thing of the past, the situation has continued to get worse in Taraba.
At the time of filing this report, queues have again returned to filling stations spread across Jalingo, the state capital, and its environs.
DAILY POST reports that the product has continued to become very scarce in the last three months in the state.
The situation, which has not only triggered an increase in transportation and general cost of living, has as well led to the closure of some business centers.
As at today, petrol was being sold for between N260 and N300 per litre in various parts of the state, a situation which has impacted negatively on both commercial and private car owners as well as passengers.
When DAILY POST visited some filling stations in Jalingo metropolis, it was observed that the gates were locked while black marketers had a busy day in their illicit business.
With long queues at the few petrol stations that were open, desperate consumers who spoke with our correspondent, said they were ready to buy fuel at any amount.
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Citing the ongoing Ramadan fast embarked on by the Muslims and the forthcoming Easter celebration, both commercial drivers and passengers who bared their minds to DAILY POST, urged the government at the national level to address the situation in order to allow the people participate actively in the fasting and Easter celebration.
Some marketers who said that the only way for them to make fast money is to sell their product to black marketers, also expressed their displeasure over government ill attitudes towards them.
Also speaking with some of the taskforce officials assigned with the responsibility of monitoring the sale of the product in the state, they admitted that some of the marketers are hoarding the product thereby worsening the situation.
One of the officers, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, said had they been empowered to force those hoarding the product to dispense it, the scarcity would have been minimized.
Sri Lanka ordered troops to petrol stations Tuesday as sporadic protests erupted among the thousands of motorists queueing up daily for scarce fuel.
The South Asian island nation is grappling with its worst economic meltdown since independence in 1948, with rolling electricity blackouts and essential goods such as food and cooking gas also in short supply.
Authorities said soldiers were deployed after angry crowds blocked a busy street in Colombo and held up traffic for hours because they were unable to buy kerosene oil on Monday.
“Tempers are getting frayed as queues get longer,” a top defence official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“A decision was made last night to call out soldiers to reinforce the police. This is to discourage any unrest.”
Footage of Monday’s incident shared on social media showed a group of angry women blockading a coach carrying tourists to protest shortages of kerosene needed for cooking stoves.
The troop call also follows the stabbing murder of a motorcyclist by another driver after a dispute over his place in a long queue for fuel outside the capital.
Three elderly people have dropped dead at fuel queues since Saturday, police said, adding that numerous petrol stations saw people camping overnight to wait for diesel and gasoline purchases.
Military officials said soldiers were deployed at pumping stations of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corp, which accounts for two-thirds of the fuel retail business in the nation of 22 million people.
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President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office announced a summit of all political parties on Wednesday to discuss the economic crisis, but opposition groups said they planned to boycott the meeting.
Sri Lanka’s financial crisis stems from a critical shortfall of foreign currency, leaving traders unable to finance imports.
The Covid-19 pandemic throttled the island’s tourism sector — a key foreign exchange earner — and remittances from Sri Lankans working overseas have also declined sharply.
Rajapaksa announced last week that the country will seek an IMF bailout.
Shortages have wrought havoc on almost every aspect of daily life, with authorities last week postponing term tests for millions of students because of a lack of paper and ink.
At least two people in Sri Lanka died while waiting in long queues for fuel, officials said Sunday, as widespread shortages cause misery and hardship across the island nation.
Sri Lanka is battling the worst economic crisis in its history as an independent nation, with a lack of foreign exchange to purchase vital imports shrinking the supply of essential goods.
Motorists are forced to wait hours outside gas stations for petrol and the government has imposed rolling blackouts as power utilities are unable to pay for enough foreign oil to meet demand.
Police said a 70-year-old man who was standing in line to buy gasoline collapsed and died at a filling station on the outskirts of the capital Colombo on Sunday.
It was the second such death in as many days, after another elderly man collapsed in Kandy while waiting for kerosene oil to use as cooking fuel, police in the city confirmed.
Local media reports said multiple women standing in the hot sun to buy cooking gas had fainted at several locations across the island over the weekend.
Oil and liquified petroleum gas shipments have sat idle at Colombo’s main port, with importers unable to scrape together enough foreign currency to pay for them.
The Covid-19 pandemic throttled Sri Lanka’s tourism sector — a key foreign exchange earner — and foreign worker remittances have also declined.
Authorities announced last week that the country will seek an IMF bailout to resolve its worsening foreign debt crisis and shore up reserves.
Rating agencies and foreign analysts have cast doubt on the cash-strapped nation’s ability to service its $51 billion external debt, with $6.9 billion due in repayments this year.
Shortages have wrought havoc on almost every aspect of daily life, with authorities this week postponing term tests for nearly three million students because of a lack of paper and ink.
The island’s electricity utility has also said it is out of paper to print monthly bills for millions of consumers
The Federal Government says it will deal decisively and sanction any Depot Owner caught selling petroleum products beyond the approved Ex-Depot price in the country.
Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, made this known on Thursday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on its effort to resolve the issue of fuel scarcity in the country.
Sylva urged the public to report anyone who tried to take advantage of the situation for sanctioning as required by the law.
“We are aware, just like President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement, that there are some Depot Owners who are taking advantage of the situation by increasing the Ex-depot price.
“I can assure you that there will be sanctions for any of those depots that continue to increase the Ex-depot price as approved. We are going to deal decisively with anyone who tries to take advantage of this situation.
“It been a difficult few weeks; a few weeks ago, we had the issue of petroleum product shortage. I have already addressed that matter which coincided with the geopolitical tension in Ukraine and Russia.
“Prices of crude oil went up exponentially beyond levels expected. As you all know, when crude oil prices rise to that level, it can also affect the derivatives of crude oil.
“Nigerians are suffering because of the high diesel prices, including everywhere else globally.
“This is not peculiar to us at all. Diesel is a deregulated product and therefore, when the prices go up internationally, it affects the price also in Nigeria,” he said.
As a result, the minister said the trucks that could move petroleum products that ran on diesel were impacted and could not really cope with the high diesel prices.
Though he said the products were available in the depots, the trucks could not move the product because of the high cost of transportation.
This, he said, brought in another dimension to the crisis.
“If any deport owner increases price or any fuel station tries to take advantage of the situation, the public should report immediately.
“If we do not get the report, we cannot know what is going on or sanction them,” he said
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