Oil marketers meet FG, agree to increase petrol supply nationwide

dimeji akinloye

June 5, 2015 10:08 PM

In a statement released after the meeting, the marketers agreed to increase the level of supply to all retail outlets nationwide with immediate effect.

Endless queue at one of Nigeria's filling stations in May 2015.

Oilmarketers have indicated their commitment to put an end to the fuel queues at filling stations across the country, weeks after the historical fuel crisis that nearly shut down Nigeria.

This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting the marketers held on Friday, June 5, in Abuja with the Federal Government and other stakeholders in oil and gas sector.

NAN reports that the meeting was held to find lasting solution to the persistent queues at filling stations across the country.

In the communiqué signed Taiye Haruna, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the marketers agreed to begin to move products to all parts of the nation with immediate effect.

It stated that the meeting was tagged "Queue must go stakeholders’ platform.’’

It stated that Petroleum Products Marketing Company in conjunction with marketers, major and independent, have agreed to increase the level of supply to all retail outlets nationwide with immediate effect.

It also stated that the meeting also directed marketers to move 700 trucks of petrol to Abuja with immediate effect.

It noted that one of the major constraints to distribution is the logjam at Apapa–Oshodi expressway in Lagos.

"We have agreed to work with the Lagos State Government, Petrol Tanker Drivers (PTD) and NARTO to clear the logjam at Apapa.

“Currently we have over 2,000 trucks on that road waiting to take fuel at the depot.

"Trucks are at Apapa to load products but could not get product but we fashioned out modality to clear the logjam in conjunction with other stakeholders,” it stated.

The communiqué further stated that the measure will enable the marketers start loading and moving products out of the depot to the hinterland.

"We have enough stocks that can last for 23 days; also we agreed to set up the committee of stakeholders to monitor the loading and delivering of products nationwide.

“We have also agreed that efforts will be made to clear this long before the end of June”, the communiqué declared.

It further stated that the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) will track all the trucks from Apapa using the Aquila project to avoid diversion of the products.

"DPR is to ensure that products are delivered and selling proceeds should not be more than N87 per litre.

"Government will not relent in their efforts to ensure that the challenge become a thing of the past.

"All stakeholders have agreed to clear the queue before the end of next week,” it stated

According to the communiqué, it was also agreed that a task force comprising all stakeholders is being set up to look into the distribution of PMS nationwide.

dimeji akinloye