Who's drinking the petrol..? Nigerians ask Buhari, NNPC

Despite claims by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of millions of liters of petrol being imported daily, the product is not at the reach of consumers.

This is evident in the sights of long queues in most states and Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

Sharp practices of adjustment of meters, hoarding and sale to black-marketers have also taken over.

100 Million liters of Petrol daily - NNPC

A statement made available to by the NNPC spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu, on Thursday, February 8, 2018, the corporation said that 100 million liters, would be brought-in per day in February to replenish strategic reserves.

“To enhance supply, 45 million liters of petrol was discharged from ships into jetties across the country yesterday,” Ughamadu announced.

“Prior to the fresh 45 million liters discharged, we have 324 million liters of petrol on land and 432 million liters in marine storage making a total of 756 million liters,” the NNPC spokesman said.

“These are enough to last for 22 days at 35 million daily consumption rate,’’ he added.

Some Nigerians who spoke to dismissed this claim.

Who is drinking our petrol?

The NNPC boss, Maikanti Baru had blamed the fuel scarcity on speculations by the media, one would expect that with the increased supply of products, queues would now be a thing of the past.

But this has not been the case.

The more the increase, the longer the queues.

A Nigerian already thinks someone may be drinking the fuel.

“NNPC is bringing 100 liters of fuel every day into which country? And there is no fuel?”Chukwuemeka Obiora, a businessman asked our correspondent at the NNPC Mega Filling Station along Kubwa expressway in Abuja.

He goes on further: “Buhari and NNPC need to tell us who is drinking the petrol because I will not be here for over three hours if that is true.

“My customers have been calling me but I cannot leave my car here. This Buhari’s government has failed us completely. Even fuel they cannot provide,” he lamented.

Businessmen like Obiora are not alone. Civil servants are also leaving their duty posts before closing hours to queue for fuel.

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A civil servant who craved anonymity told that she and some of her colleagues left the office four hours to close of work to queue for fuel.

“The fuel scarcity is really terrible. If it is this bad in Abuja, I wonder what Nigerians in other states are facing,” she said.

“Today, I left the office by 12 noon, same with some of my colleagues. This is what happens almost every day in most offices. This is almost 4pm and I am still here."

Asked if she will return back to the office after buying the product, she replied: “Go back to the office to do what? If the government did their job well, will I be spending four hours on queue? I’m going home from here and I’m sure most of my colleagues have left the office too,"

Another fuel price hike?

An NNPC source had told that there was no plans to officially increase fuel price due to the upcoming 2019 general elections.

“The marketers want the federal government to increase the price of petrol but the government has refused because of 2019 elections. They are afraid that an increase in the price of fuel will affect their chances of winning in 2019. That is the problem.

"Also, remember that the landing cost of petroleum products is higher than the current pump price.

“On the other hand, filling stations are hoarding products while they’re waiting for an announcement of an increase in price so they can make excess gain,” the source said.

Fuel no longer N145 per liter

While consumers grapple with long queues, the bigger problem is the adjustments of the meters

Itua Ojeiwa tells that he pays over N3,000 extra to fill his tank.

“You see, this fuel scarcity situation is the biggest failure of the Buhari government. We have never had it so bad in this country,” Ojeiwa said.

“The problem is not even spending hours on queue but the fraud going on with the meters. Before now, I spend about N8,000 to fill my tank but I’m forced to spend almost N12,000.

"Let nobody deceive you, fuel is no longer N145 and they claim. That may not announce it but that is the reality. Filling stations are selling like black marketers too.

“This government has not increased the minimum wage, nothing to improve the standard of living yet Nigerians are suffering on a daily basis,” Ojeiwa a federal worker said.

When asked if he has complained to the authorities, Ojeiwa declared: "Which authorities are you talking about? Do you think that they do not know about these things? It is until the President complains that they will wake up and find solution to these problems," he noted.

Fuel Scarcity will end in 2019 – Kachikwu

The minister of states for petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu says fuel scarcity will be over when refineries come on stream in 2019.

Aliko Dangote is expected to complete his refinery within that time frame.

Meantime, the minister assured Nigerians that the government is tackling some of the problems that has led to scarcity of the product.

A major problem which has led to tis scarcity, sources say, has been the increase in the landing cost of petrol.

The lasting solution fuel scarcity if for our refineries come on stream.

Until then, dear Nigerians, long queues, compromised meters and black-market fuel may be your companion.