Oredola Adeola
The scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, has resurfaced in most filling stations in Lagos, leading to long queues of private and commercial vehicles, which also resulted in gridlock on most of the highways in the state.
Our correspondent who visited some of the filling stations in the Lekki/ VI axis disclosed that most filling stations including Enyo Filling Station, Petrocam Filling Station and Mobil filling stations all along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, were selling at the N170 per litre despite the scarcity.
The assistant station manager at Mobil filling station, by the Sand fill bus stop, who would not like to have his name in print, informed our correspondent that his station received two trucks of PMS in less than 24 hours.
According to him, some of the customers feared that the scarcity could extend into weeks, hence the rush to fuel the vehicles with backup in kegs.
He confirmed that another truck was on its way from the depot to deliver products within the next few hours.
One of the station attendants at PetroCam in Elf Bus Stop informed our correspondent that two petrol tankers delivered the product to the station on Monday evening. He noted that the product has finished due to the scarcity.
He also confirmed that another truck on its way from the depot to deliver the product to the station before 12 pm, assuring that those vehicles already on the queues, would be attended to by 4:30 am on Wednesday.
The situation was however not the same in most parts of Lagos Mainland, as most filling stations in Ikorodu road, Ikeja, Agege, and Abule Egba were shut, while motorists abandoned their cars at the stations. Other stations who had products sold to customers above N200.
Motorists, residents and shop owners in Ikeja axis including Computer village, Allen and Opebi also struggle within the are to fill their tanks as long queues resurfaced in all the petrol stations.
Mr. Friday, a computer Engineer, who would in Computer village, Ikeja told our correspondent that the scarcity affected most businesses in Ikeja as residents and shop owners besieged fuel stations in search of petrol to run their operations.
This according to him, many people in Ikeja were shocked by the scarcity as most of the stations shot operations. He added that those who are opened are selling at ridiculous price above N250 per litre, leaving black marketers of petrol to make brisk businesses selling at around N300 per litre.
OPERATORS REACTION
Mike Osatuyi, National Operations Controller of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in a statement confirming the scarcity attributed it to a shortage in PMS supply by the NNPC.
According to him, the ex-depot price at private depot increased from N165 to between N177 and N178 per litre, adding that some of the stations are selling above N200.
He said, “The marketers will only sell what is available. If the price of petrol increases, we add our transportation cost and other charges to the selling price.”
Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority, who confirmed the scarcity, said that the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) have promised to release more products into the market to fill up the supply issues.
Mr Adetunji Oyebanji, Managing Director, 11 Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc) who was the immediate past Chairman of MOMAN confirmed that the scarcity was a result of limited supply from the NNPC.
He told EnergyDay that his terminal can only release available products to the market, adding that NNPCL is the only importer of petrol into Nigeria.
The MD 11Plc noted that the Corporation determines the volume of petrol to be imported and how much petrol is distributed. He noted that if supply decreases, there will definitely be shortage and fuel scarcity.
Garba Deen Muhammad, NNPC’s spokesperson did not respond to a phone call seeking his comments on Monday evening.
