The Nigerian Government has taken actions to stop the ongoing petrol crisis across the country, promising massive distribution of the product.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timpre Sylva gave the assurance after his tour of some selected petroleum dispensing outlets in Lagos State on Friday
He said that he came on the directive of President Muhammdu Buhari, to assess the situation of things about distribution and adherence to price regulation.
The Minister said that “an inter-ministerial intervention, initiated by the government, has set out to ensure proper management of petrol distribution across the country.”
Sylva reassured Nigerians that with the current steps, all hiccups leading to the current situation was been addressed.
According to him, “the situation is pleasant because he observed the availability of products in the state.”
“Fuel is everywhere, both in Lagos and Abuja.
“I visited many stations in Ikeja and on the mainland. From every indication, there are products everywhere and I want to assure you that the queues will disappear in a matter of days,”he said.
Sylva said the situation, witnessed in Lagos, had been achieved in 15 states across the country, stressing that the President had ordered that queues must be cleared, immediately.
On arbitrary price hikes by some marketers, the Minister said that he had directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, to upscale its regulatory activities and ensure marketers abide by the current price regime.
He said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, NNPC, retail outlets were selling at N184 per litre and over 900 outlets operated by the company were selling at the same price.
“And that is the official price everybody is expected to sell, but l admitted there are sharp practices still ongoing,” he said.
Explaining how the situation degenerated into a crisis point, Sylva stated that government did not see it coming.
According to him, “sabotage plays a key role in the sector as those who do not mean well for the country take advantage of the upcoming elections, to create panic by engaging in market disruptions.”
The Minister explained that other factors like insecurity, foreign exchange scarcity and lack of currency availability further compounded the situation.
He, however, said that “the inter-ministerial body, inaugurated by the President, is not working in synergy to put in check all seeming challenges and block all potholes.”
VON