BY EMEKA EJERE
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says the long queues in filling stations in some parts of Abuja, causing gridlock are unnecessary as it has enough product that would last the country for about 60 days.
According to The Punch, while some filling stations were not dispensing as of Tuesday morning, a few others dispensing were besieged by motorists.
The situation led to long queues which also affected the free flow of traffic in the affected areas.
It was learnt that on Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, a long queue was at Conoil filling station that was dispensing..
Total filling station on the same road was not dispensing as of press time but motorists were already on a long queue, anticipating that the fuel attendants could start dispensing any time.
But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) tweeted on Tuesday morning that it had enough product that would last the country for about 60 days, adding that there was no need for panic buying.
Business Hallmark had reported that the vandalism of petrol trucks by angry protesters forced oil marketers to temporarily suspend the movement of petroleum products, a development which warranted disruptions in supply
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), had last week decried the loss of some of their petrol tankers following repeated attacks on their trucks by hoodlums infiltrating the #EndSARS protesters.
The Public Relations Officer, IPMAN, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, had confirmed in Abuja that three petrol tankers with products belonging to oil marketers were set on fire.
He said, “The protesters are burning our petrol trucks as we speak right now in Warri. They are burning three trucks. The cost or value of the content in those trucks is about N90m.
“That is outside the worth of the trucks that are being burnt. This is why we asked our tanker drivers to park or temporarily halt the movement of products.”
Reacting to the queues that surfaced in Abuja and neighbouring states on Tuesday morning, the NNPC said in a tweet that there was no need for panic.
