Reps Committee Hails NNPC Ltd’s Intervention As Normalcy Returns To Filling Stations

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream and midstream on Wednesday said that there is availability of over 1.5 billion liters of petrol products in the storage facilities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that can last for 30 days.

The downstream and midstream committees led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Hon. Odianosen Henry Okojie respectively, stated this at a press conference.

This is just as checks by THE WHISTLER revealed that normalcy has returned to filling stations following the resolution of the distribution issues by the NNPCL.

Checks by THE WHISTLER at filling stations in Abuja showed that queues have reduced drastically compared to the situation few days back.

For instance, at NNPC filling stations in Bwari, Dutse, Kubwa, lugbe dispensed the product on Wednesday with minimal queues.

Similarly, filling stations around Wuse, Airport Road and Garki among others were attending to motorists without much queues.

Speaking on the development, Ugochinyere who represents Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State, stated that in the last few days the downstream and midstream committees reached out to the stakeholders in the distribution value chain; the NNPCL, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and engaged extensively with them, with a view to ascertaining the cause of the resurgence of the fuel queues across the country.

The lawmakers expressing concerns over the temporary presence of fuel queues in petrol stations across the country which has adversely affected the lives and businesses of Nigerians.

However, it expressed optimism that normalcy will return in a few days.

According to Ugochinyere, from investigations, the committee found out that there is availability of petrol products, at least, about 1.5 billion litres of petrol that can last for 30 days.

He noted that it is as a result of logistics that the queues have resurfaced, noting that these logistic issues range from difficulty in transporting products from the mother vessel to the respective petrol stations.

He assured that the lawmakers have received the assurances from the regulators in the value chain that these bottlenecks are being cleared.

He also assured that the Committees which oversights activities in the Downstream and Midstream petroleum sectors, have resolved that going forward and in order to avert the reoccurrence of this temporary challenge of distribution disruption, they would work with the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution chain, towards finding a sustainable solution in ensuring that they do not run into such avoidable disruption in the near future, which can hamper economic activities.

Ugochinyere said, “The purpose of this press briefing is to give an update on the scarcity of petrol products and what the Committees are doing to ensuring that the right things are done as the representatives of the people.

“It is so painful that Nigerians have been subjected to great hardship and pains as a result of the scarcity of petroleum products in the past few days.

“This development has led us as representatives of the people, to engage with the regulators of the relevant sectors with a view to finding out the cause(s) of this scarcity and providing solutions to same.

“We have in the last few days reached out to the stakeholders in the distribution value chain; the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the 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) and engaged extensively with them, with a view to ascertaining the cause of the resurgence of the fuel queues across the country.

“We hereby express our concerns over the temporary presence of fuel queues in petrol stations across the country. This has adversely affected the lives and businesses of Nigerians across the country. As elected representatives of the Nigerian people, we are greatly disturbed by this development. However, we are convinced that this is temporary and in a couple of days, we shall get over it.

“From our investigations, we have found out that there is availability of petrol products. We have on good authority that we have in our storage facilities, at least, about 1.5 billion litres of petrol that can last for 30 days. It is however saddening to note that it is as a result of logistics that the queues have resurfaced.

These logistic issues range from difficulty in transporting products from the mother vessel to the respective petrol stations. Movement of products from offshore marine vessels to the stations, disruption from Escravos channels.

“We have gotten the assurances from the regulators in the value chain that these bottlenecks are being cleared. In the course of this public holiday, more grounds will be covered. From our findings, the issues that necessitated the disruptions which led to the appearance of fuel queues in petrol stations have been cleared. Obviously, it will take a few days for things to return back to normalcy.

“Therefore, we call on Nigerians not to fret over this development. We have gotten assurances from the regulators and the unions that these will be cleared in the next two days. It will require more time, like two to three days, for products to be distributed to all stations nationwide.

“As a Committee that is geared towards ameliorating the sufferings of the people we represent, 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 the 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.”

The committee also strongly frown 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 our people.

He said, “We hereby call on security forces to support the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution chain, so as to ensure that acts of economic sabotage that has to do with hoarding, arbitrary increment in price, products diversion and smuggling are detected and dealt with.

“Our people have been through a lot in the last few days and we must not plunge them into further pains. We appeal to all traders and those rendering services, not to unduly take advantage of this temporary challenge, which will be cleared in the next few days.

“As at today, the reports we are getting suggests that the fuels queues have started disappearing and products have started arriving the petrol stations. We urge Nigerians not to engage in panic buying, nor be enmeshed in unnecessary rush to buy products.

“As a country we have a storage of over 1.5 billion litres which can last us for over 30 days. More products are arriving and more products are on the high sea. The only challenge that caused this disruption was the logistics issue that had to with the marine shuttle vessels, which was to move products to marketers, who are on standby waiting to serve the people. The logistics issues have now been resolved.

“On this note, we want to appreciate our Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass, Ph.D, who has been very concerned in the last few days and have been on top of the situation with our Committees in the course of our interface with the regulators and key stakeholders in the industry.

“We also want to appreciate all stakeholders ranging from the NNPCL, NMDPRA, PETROAN, NARTO and other key stakeholders in the distribution value chain for their patriotic efforts in the last few days geared towards resolving this temporary disruption. We wish all Nigerians and workers, a happy workers day. We assure you that there is no cause for alarm.”