For the first time since the Muhammadu Buhari administration came into office in Nigeria in 2015, many Nigerians are marking the Yuletide queuing up at the filling stations to buy petroleum products for their needs. In apparent sympathy with the people, the Number Two Man in government had to leave the comfort of his home to join the search for the way forward.
Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, first of all had to reassure the people that the federal government has no plan to increase the pump price of petrol in 2018. Prof. Osinbajo gave the assurance during his visit to fuel depots in Lagos where he monitored the loading of trucks to ensure a steady supply of petrol to designated filling stations.
Reports said the Nigerian Number Two leader visited some major fuel depot terminals and stakeholders in Apapa and other parts of Lagos on Christmas Day. According to the Vice President, “the fuel scarcity facing the country is as a result of the shortage of supply to depots across the country. We hope that in the next couple of days, we would be able to end the fuel queues”.
He said that any marketer who hoarded petroleum products for the purpose of making an extra profit would be dealt with by the enforcement agencies saddled with the responsibility of regulating the sector.
Earlier at the stakeholders’ meeting, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said the long queues would be over by last Wednesday. Mr. Kachikwu, who noted that over 150 trucks were supplying fuel daily, stated that there had been series of meetings and consultations with the oil marketers.
He said that he would meet with the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, to put together structures and additional plans to end the fuel shortage currently facing the country.
The Vice-President had on Christmas Eve made an unexpected stopover at some filling stations in Lekki and other parts of Lagos Island to assess the fuel situation. According to the Vice President, the Buhari administration is doing everything possible to quickly resolve the fuel shortage experienced by Nigerians.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, last Sunday sympathized with Nigerians over their suffering occasioned by the scarcity of petroleum products across the country. President Buhari said that he had already directed the regulators to step up their surveillance and bring an end to hoarding of the products and price inflation by marketers.
The scarcity of fuel at festive periods used to be a recurring feature in Nigeria, although this is the first time it is happening since the Buhari administration took over at the center. In some states, a litre of fuel has been selling at between N200 and N300 per litre as against the official pump price of N145.
