*Fuel queues have re-surfaced in Lagos, Abuja, and some other parts of the country due to importation of poor quality fuel, despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited鈥檚 recent assurance of adequate product supply to consumers 聽聽

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Fuel queues have re-surfaced in Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria, while similar fuel queues have persisted in Abuja, FCT.

绿帽献妻 reports the fuel queues in the morning Tuesday, February 8, 2022, emerged in Lagos with a tailback stretching across some parts of the state.

The situation has caused a major gridlock in major parts of the state affecting free flow of traffic.

The current fuel scarcity in Lagos, Abuja, and some other states across the Nigerian Federation is due to the alleged withdrawal of adulterated petrol by the NNPC, the sole importer of the product, reports said.

It was also gathered the some of the petrol imported into the country under the Direct Sale, Direct Purchase (DSDP) contract has a high content of methanol and ethanol, which are regarded as highly harmful to consumers.

However, sequel to the reported discovery of the relatively poor quality of fuel, the relevant authorities decided to stop and reduce the distribution of the product for proper investigation.

Subsequently, the situation has resulted in the apparent shortage of fuel supply from NNPC depots, and some private depots around Lagos axis, according to report.

In its reaction to the development, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has blamed the shortage of supply on issues surrounding the presence of bad and contaminated fuel in the market as well as undersupply from the NNPC Limited.

A case of contaminated fuel in circulation

The major oil marketers have also disclosed that currently, there is contaminated fuel in circulation in Nigeria.

Adetunji Oyebanji, former Chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, (MOMAN) told The ICIR in an exclusive interview, that聽 鈥渨e have a vessel that imports fuel that聽 got contaminated because the suppliers tried to mix ethanol to the fuel which increased the sulphur content.

Fuel sales at a filling station

鈥淭his negates Nigeria鈥檚 specification for PMS,鈥�

Adetunji was quoted to have stated: 鈥淭he truth of the matter is that basically some of the suppliers missed ethanol with fuel.

鈥淚n some countries it happens when you blend 95 percent of gasoline and five percent of ethanol, and its against Nigeria鈥檚 specification.鈥�

The vessel with that came in last week with contaminated PMS had already discharged fuel to some marketers, and the faulty product has been sold to some Nigerian consumers.

The former MOMAN Chairman further explained that Nigerian Government is trying to address the problem since the contaminated vessel would still be used for further fuel imports into the country.

The development is responsible for the scarcity of PMS and long queues at filling stations in Nigeria, said he.

Adetunji added: 鈥淭he delays, as you see in the filling stations, are as a result of this and the authorities discovered that the contamination would affect the ones being imported.

鈥淭hey are trying to clean up adequately before subsequent imports. This is what is causing the long queues currently.鈥�

Chinedu Okoronkwo, President of IPMAN, likewise confirmed that the NNPC Limited 聽has commenced efforts at removing the contaminated PMS from circulation.

Okoronkwo said: 鈥淭here is high sulphur content in the fuel in circulation, but we鈥檝e got assurance from NNPC that the fuel has been removed.鈥�

In respect of certain concerns that some motorists are dumping their vehicles at filling stations where they bought the contaminated fuel, the IPMAN Chief said such motorists have the right to make complaints.

He stated: 鈥淭here shouldn鈥檛 be any problem with people dumping their damaged vehicles at various filling stations they bought the fuel. It is the first point of call for them, and they have right to do so.鈥�

NNPC deeply committed to energy security 鈹�Spokesman

It is recalled the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited recently 聽assured the public that the oil firm has sufficient stock of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, to meet the needs of Nigerian consumers.

Mr. Garba Deen Muhammad, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC Limited, in a brief statement issued January 26, 2022, said 鈥渢he public is, therefore, advised not to engage in panic buying of petrol, and to ignore all rumours that may suggest otherwise.鈥�

The oil company鈥檚 Spokesman has noted that in line with the existing laws of the land, 鈥淣NPC Limited is deeply committed to ensuring energy security for the country.鈥�

Nonetheless, while some fuel stations were under lock and key, and a few others that opened for business had long queues of motorists waiting to buy fuel Tuesday morning.

However, some industry analysts on a Radio programme monitored Tuesday, in Lagos, alleged the situation was outright 鈥榓rtificial scarcity鈥� that could have caused the needless panic among consumers in the metropolitan city of Lagos, and other parts of the country.

One of the guests on the morning programme also disclosed that he effortlessly drove into a petrol station that morning like several other motorists, and bought fuel without any hassle when heading for his workplace.

鈥淚 wonder what could have happened to the stocks of fuel in some of these petrol stations within hours this Tuesday,鈥� stated an analyst, who insisted that he observed the hassle-free fuel situation earlier in the day.

Nonetheless, the situation is reportedly the same in Abuja, and surrounding states where the majority of filling stations were shut and motorists spent hours in the sun struggling to buy from the few that were open.

Meanwhile, several observers have expressed concern that these fuel queues resurfaced in Lagos despite the NNPC鈥檚 recent reassurance, that the oil firm has sufficient stock of petrol to meet the needs of Nigerian consumers.

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