- Says Cause of Supply Disruption Already Addressed
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has urged Nigerians to remain calm amid the resurgence of fuel queues in filling stations across the country, assuring them of adequate fuel supply.
At a joint press briefing, the Chairmen of the House Committees on Petroleum (Downstream) and (Midstream), Ikenga Ugochinyere and Henry Okojie, respectively, revealed that their investigations confirmed the availability of approximately 1.5 billion litres of petrol, sufficient for 30 days. They attributed the queues to logistical challenges, including difficulties in transporting fuel from storage facilities to petrol stations.
“We have reached out to stakeholders in the distribution value chain, including 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), to understand the cause of the fuel queues,” Ugochinyere stated.
“We are concerned about the temporary presence of fuel queues, which have negatively impacted Nigerians’ lives and businesses. However, we are confident that this is temporary and will be resolved within a few days.”
The lawmakers emphasized the availability of sufficient fuel reserves and attributed the queues to logistical issues, particularly challenges in transporting fuel from offshore vessels to petrol stations. They assured the public that the relevant authorities are addressing these bottlenecks and expect a return to normalcy within two to three days.
“We call on Nigerians not to worry about this development,” Ugochinyere added. “We have received assurances from regulators and unions that the queues will be cleared within the next two days. It will take a few more days, two to three, for fuel to be distributed to all stations nationwide. As a committee dedicated to alleviating the suffering of our constituents, we have been closely monitoring this situation.”