FUEL queues, this morning, resurfaced in Lagos, leaving commuters stranded.
Our reporter who moved around the city observed snake-like queues comprising private and commercial vehicles at filling stations.
The queues appeared yesterday but worsened hours later as vehicle owners scramble for Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol.
At one of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited outlets at Omole, near the popular Berger Bus Stop, a fuel attendant saidthat the station did not get fuel supply over the weekend, hence the shortage.
On Saturday, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari at the commissioning of Pinnacle Oil and Gas FZE Terminal in the Lekki area of Lagos said, “The largest consumer of petroleum product is Lagos and anytime we have any disruption to supply in Lagos, we panic because the trouble will start here.”
Floods have also disrupted fuel supply in Abuja and some North-Central states like Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue where bridges vital for the movement of fuel tankers have been submerged.
Over 20 states across Nigeria have been affected by devastating floods in the last two months, displacing millions and killing over 600 persons, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
The Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG) Company recently declared force majeure because of the tragic floods across the country which have disrupted supply.
The notice sent users of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas into panic mode but the company said there is no need for panic buying or hoarding of the essential domestic commodity.
MEANWHILE, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has appealed to Nigerians not to engage in panic buying of petrol, saying it has enough in stock.
Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos today.
Ahmed said he had checked with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC) on the level of fuel stock and confirmed that they had sufficient stock.
“l spoke with the MOMAN’S Executive Secretary this morning and he told me they have sufficient stock.
“I have directed them to start evacuating the product immediately to filling stations.
“NNPC has also confirmed sufficiency and they have commenced evacuation.
“From now till tomorrow the situation will be back to normal.
“I don’t know what is happening but we are on top of the situation,” he said.
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