The Federal Government issues a stern warning to fuel marketers, threatening to revoke licenses if caught hoarding fuel, as the country grapples with scarcity.
Oil marketers who are found guilty of hoarding Premium Motor Spirit – commonly referred to as petrol – risk having their licenses withdrawn by the Federal Government. This threat has been issued in response to the ongoing fuel scarcity crisis experienced not only in Abuja, but also Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna and several other states within Nigeria.
There has been an incessant shortage of petrol in certain states, particularly those located in the North. As a result, numerous gas stations have shut down as they are unable to restock their supplies.
Nonetheless, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which operates under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction, has cautioned fuel vendors that their licenses would be revoked if they stockpile petrol and distribute it to black market traders in jerrycans.
During an inspection tour in Abuja, the regulator shared a video clip where Ogbugo Ukoha – Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure at NMDPRA – handed down a warning.
One of the managers at the inspected stations heard Ukoha say, “Take this warning seriously and if you require additional security support, speak to your management.”
He suggested that retail petrol stations should discontinue facilitating the sale of products to black marketers who distribute them in jerrycans.
According to Ukoha, such actions present grave safety issues and must be halted.
The downstream regulator announced its declaration of war against the unauthorized trade of petroleum products on its X handle.
The NMDPRA has initiated a campaign against the unlawful transactions of petroleum items, particularly PMS distributed in jerrycans. Filling stations are cautioned not to cater to illegal traders; otherwise their retail permits will be put on hold as per the agency’s declaration.
A couple of vessels experiencing problems during discharge operations was cited by Olufemi Soneye, the spokesperson for NNPCL, as the reason behind fuel shortages in Abuja and Lagos on July 27.
Soneye had explained that the fuel shortage and distribution problems experienced in certain areas of Lagos and the FCT was due to complications during vessel discharge operations, as stated by NNPC Ltd.
He stated that the company was collaborating with all stakeholders 24/7 to solve the issue and return operations back to normal.
The NNPCL claimed that adverse weather conditions had contributed to the fuel shortage at some stage.
He emphasized that compliance with these regulations is compulsory because any noncompliance could lead to a grave peril to the trucks, petrol filling stations, and human lives. Furthermore, he mentioned that flooding of truck routes has exacerbated this issue by hindering the transportation of PMS from coastal areas to Abuja’s Federal Capital. He stated that loading had started at the time despite these challenges.
Despite the assurance, fuel scarcity continues to persist in numerous northern states.
