Union urges NNPC to enforce compliance with ex-depot price to end fuel scarcity

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has urged NNPC to ensure total compliance with official ex-depot price of N77 per litre to end the current fuel scarcity.

Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG, gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The chairman said there was enough fuel in the country to ease scarcity, but most of the private depots were dispensing at high ex-depot price.

According to him, most independent marketers could not buy because of the high price at private depots.

"The current scarcity will continue despite the corporation’s effort to increase supply to Lagos depots because the issue of unofficial pricing at the depots needed to be addressed.

"Many of private depots in Lagos sell to marketers between N92 and N100 per litre; how much do you expect independent marketers to sell in their filling stations.

"Consequently, majority of the independent marketers in Lagos have decided to shut their filling stations because they cannot buy at N95 and sell at N86:50 per litre.

"It is easy for marketers in other states to come to Lagos and buy at any price and sell at any price outside Lagos, but it is not easy for us in Lagos.

"It is only when independent marketers get product at NNPC depot that we can sell at the official price, but for now, NNPC is short of supply," he said.

Korodo urged the government to direct the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and other relevant agencies to monitor distribution of fuel at the private depots.

He assured that if private depots would sell at official ex-depot price, the current scarcity of petroleum products would come to an end before the weekend.

The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr Ohi Alegbe, said more petroleum product vessels had berthed at Lagos ports, adding that the current scarcity would ease soon

NAN reports that on Feb.29, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, warned depot owners against selling petrol above the approved ex-depot price of N77 per litre.

The minister said the warning came against the backdrop of repeated complaints by marketers of sharp practices at the depots.

The minister warned that culprits will be severely sanctioned.