SOME marketers have begun the hoarding of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, based on the rumour that the Federal Government will remove the little subsidy subsisting in the current PMS price regime.
Consequently, long queues have returned to petrol stations across the country while others have shut their respective outlets due to ‘non-availability’ of the product.
Most petrol stations visited by Nigerian Tribune on Monday had long queues of vehicles waiting to buy petrol.
There have been divergent reactions to the statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan on the removal of fuel subsidy. The president was quoted as saying the Federal Government did not make provisions for partial removal of subsidy, but total removal of fuel subsidy. He said this had challenged the provision of palliatives as promised on January 1, when the removal of subsidy was announced.
However, Dr Levi Ajuonuma, Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in a telephone interview, could not explain the reason for the scarcity in some parts of the country. He said efforts were being made to confirm from the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) what could have been responsible.
Efforts to get reactions from the spokesman for Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr Femi Olawore, were unsuccessful. But the General Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr Mike Osatuyi, blamed the scarcity on panic buying by most Nigerians.
He assured motorists that there were enough supplies and that there were many vessels at the port ready to discharge their contents. According to him, “there are many vessels waiting to discharge the products at various depots. Nigerians should not engage in panic buying based on what is happening in other states or the fear of subsidy removal. Before the week runs out, there will be enough supplies to meet demand.”
Meanwhile, a cross section of Nigerians who spoke with Nigerian Tribune, accused the marketers of hoarding fuel on slightest excuse or rumour of fuel scarcity. In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, Mr Charles Okume, an engineer, who was waiting to buy petrol at ASCON petrol station on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, said the marketers were fond of shutting down their stations anytime there was a rumour of scarcity or price hike. “When they were ordered to reverse the price the last time, they were giving various excuses to justify their non-compliance,” he said.
In related development, a soldier on Monday, was reported to have beaten up a female petrol attendant over sale of the commodity in Ibadan, on Monday.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that as a result of the scarcity of the commodity, many motorists who besieged the station located at J. Allen area of the state capital, opposite the popular Cocoa House had queued up to be serviced.
But the soldier who was in uniform, had tried to jump the queue when the female attendant cautioned him.
An eyewitness told Nigerian Tribune that the female attendant had drawn the attention of the soldier to the existing queue but this did not go down well with the soldier and he slapped the girl who fell down.
She was rescued by motorists who were at the petrol station.
When Nigerian Tribune visited the station, the female attendant was seen with marks on her cheek.
The soldier was ‘arrested’ by the mob who insisted that he would not leave, but would be handed over to the police.
For several hours, the military officer was “detained” at the petrol station until the arrival of the station’s dealer who intervened.
He was later handed over to some soldiers from the Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ojo.
Meanwhile, the scarcity of petrol persisted in the state capital, as most of the petrol stations that opened for business witnessed long queues of vehicles.
Some of the petrol stations were still under lock and key, while in most of the petrol stations visited, the product was sold for N120 per litre.
The NNPC mega station on Ojo-Iwo Road sold at N97 but with a long queue of vehicles.
Although Nigerians have been advised not to engage in panic buying, the price of petrol varies across the country.
Nigerian Tribune investigations showed that some petrol stations around Ibadan, Lafia NNPC mega station and Abeokuta sold at the official rate of N97 per litre, while some sold it between N110 and N130. In Kogi, it was sold for between N115 and N120; Asaba, Delta State, N120 and Calabar, Cross River State, between N150 and N200.
Some stations in Kaduna sold for N97, while those on the outskirts of Kaduna, N110; Jalingo, Taraba State, N120, N170 at the black market; Yobe and Borno sells between N120 and N130.
Meanwhile, the zonal chairman (West) Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr Olumide Ogunmade, has advised Nigerians not to engage in the panic buying of petrol, as he said it will soon flood the market as soon as they get adequate supply.
Ogunmade was speaking with journalists in Ibadan, on Monday, after commencing the sales of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) at N50 per litre to consumers.
According to him, “it is quite unfortunate that Nigerians engage in panic buying immediately they notice any sort of scarcity in petroleum products, because they believe marketers are hoarding the products for selfish purpose,” adding that no marketer could hoard the product due to the expenses they had to pay over the product.
He said Nigerians had been buying kerosene at a higher price because the existing refineries could not produce adequate kerosene needed by Nigerians.
Earlier, the deputy national chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) of NUPENG, Chief Salimon Oladiti, had said “if the PPMC and NNPC can afford to give IPMAN the opportunity to have kerosene and other petroleum products regularly, we will perform wonders and sell to the masses at the official rates without any hindrances.”
Meanwhile, loading commenced at the NNPC Apata Ibadan depot as early as 8.00 a.m on Monday, though the quantity of products already loaded at press time could not be ascertained.
The PTD boss said “if the loading continues in the next two days, the products would have flooded the market and the consumers would have enough to buy.”
