Issues Contributing To Fuel Crisis, Resolved- Reps

The House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum Resources, Midstream and Downstream, has revealed that logistical issues contributing to the fuel crisis, which is currently inflicting hardship on Nigerians, have been resolved.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, chairmen of the committees, Ikenga Ugochinyere and Henry Odianosen Okojie, said the logistic issues range from difficulty experienced in transporting products from the mother vessels to onshore, movement of products with marine shuttle vessels, and disruption in the Escravos channels among others.

Mr. Ugochinyere assured that in a day or two petrol would flood the market bringing an end to queues currently being experienced in stations across the country.

He said they have received assurances from the regulators in the distribution value chain that the bottlenecks have been cleared.

The lawmaker said from their investigations, there is availability of petroleum products in the country’s storage facilities with at least, about 1.5 billion liters of petrol that can last for 30 days.

He said on the issue of the return of fuel queues, they had in the last few days reached out to stakeholders in the petroleum distribution value chain.

Those stakeholders include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, to mention a few.

“We have gotten assurances from the regulators and the unions, that these challenges has been cleared . It will require more time, like two to three days, for products to be distributed to all stations nationwide. As a Committee that is charged with downstream and midstream oversight, we have been monitoring this development”.

“Also, in line with our legislative duties of over-sighting the downstream and midstream petroleum sector, we have been in touch with key stakeholders, the regulatory bodies, and the transport unions, with a view to ensuring that the products get to our people timeously and without further delay”.

They frowned at the activities of middlemen who have taken advantage of the short disruption of supply, to maximize profit and generate inordinate gain for themselves, at the detriment of Nigerians.

While calling on security agencies to clampdown on individuals and group sabotaging the adequate supply of petroleum products across the country, the Committees appealed to Nigerians not to engage in panic buying as the long queues have started disappearing.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji