Oil marketers accuse NNPC of lying to Nigerians, say fuel depots are empty

According to Mohammed Shuaibu, Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is to blame for the nation’s fuel shortage.

Shuaibu warned Nigerians not to worry despite the NNPC’s failure to make Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as gasoline, available for retail stations.
According to earlier reports, gasoline scarcity returned in the fourth quarter of 2022, resulting in long lines at gas stations and the closure of several businesses owing to fuel shortage.

Some retailers have been seeking private depots as a result of the shortage in gasoline supply to filling stations in order to maintain business.

However, compared to the gasoline sold by the NNPC, the private depot sells fuel at a higher price. Due to this, petrol prices have increased above N200 per litre at private filling stations while remaining below N200 at NNPC-owned retail stations.

“There’s a shortfall in supply but the NNPCL will be telling you not to panic, and that they have products when we cannot see them. Look at our depots, our tanks are empty.

“No petroleum marketer that used his money or borrowed money from the bank to build and invest in a filling station will lock up his station at the end of the day without any cogent reason,” Shuaibu told Punch in a report on Thursday.

Shuaibu said Suleja and other depots in Abuja are empty, adding, “Any product you see today that comes through the Suleja Depot is by bridging.

“And when you go down south, you’ll be buying from depot owners at a high price. That is why the NNPCL should be held responsible. It should explain why the product is not in circulation.”