ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Hope that the queues at fuel stations across the country would ease-off appeared on Wednesday with the commencement of daily production of 3.2 million litres of petrol by the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, KRPC.
A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, confirmed that the plant which commenced production over the weekend with an initial PMS yield of about 1.5 million litres has ramped up its daily yield to 3.2 million litres.
“The injection of this volume into the system will significantly impact ongoing special intervention efforts designed to bring relief to motorists across the country,” the Corporation stated.
Meanwhile, less than 48 hours after the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, ordered staff of the NNPC to intervene in the monitoring of fuel distribution and retail system at filling stations across the country, the initiative has started yielding positive results in Abuja and environs.
The situation at most filling stations visited in Abuja remains calm and orderly as the staff of the Corporation helped to fast-track the process of dispensing fuel to motorists in the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking shortly after visiting some retail outlets within Abuja’s Central Area, the Group Executive Director, Commercial & Investment of the NNPC, Dr. Babatunde Victor Adeniran, said so far, the exercise had recorded some success.
“Our staff are putting in all their best to ensure that orderliness is restored in most of the filling stations. They are also there to ensure that nobody creates a situation that will hamper the discharge of products to ordinary Nigerians. So far, they are doing well in this regard,” Dr. Adeniran stated.
He explained that the exercise was a hands-on approach designed to ensure that Nigerians do not suffer unnecessarily in the hands of unscrupulous marketers, adding that the situation would be improved upon.
He also called on security agencies to complement the efforts of NNPC at the filling stations.
“At one of the filling stations in Asokoro today, the police came to assist us to clear out some motorists trying to jump the queue. That is most commendable,” he said.
Adeniran further urged Nigerians to cooperate with the NNPC and ensure the success of the initiative by being law-abiding and orderly to avoid chaotic situations at the filling stations.
“I hope Nigerians can have the spirit of orderliness, the spirit of cohesion and the spirit of responsibility in order to help this process,” he observed.
It would be recalled that on Monday while addressing an emergency meeting of senior staff of the corporation at the NNPC Towers, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources ordered the deployment of NNPC staff to filling stations across the country for effective monitoring of the distribution system.
Kachikwu assured that there was sufficient petrol for Nigerians and again appealed to motorists to desist from panic purchases and warned that unscrupulous marketers who either hoard or divert products would henceforth be treated as economic saboteurs.
In a related development, Chairman of Independence Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Kano State branch, Alhaji Bashir Dan- Malam, has called for the repositioning of DPR and PPPRA to make them more effective and result-oriented.
He made the call in Kano yesterday.
He said there was urgent need for the Federal Government to reposition the two organisations in view of their significant roles in the petroleum sector of the economy.
“The President must do something urgently if the lingering fuel crisis is to be tackled and resolved once and for all,” he said.
According to him, repositioning the two agencies was also necessary to make them more vibrant and work effectively.
“Repositioning the agencies will make them more effective with a view to alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians as a result of the fuel crisis,” he said.
He also called on the Federal Government to check the excesses of DAPMAN and major marketers in its effort to end fuel scarcity in the country.
“Government should check the excesses of DAPMAN and major marketers by not paying the subsidy to those who defaulted in the discharge of their responsibilities,” he said.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for apologising to Nigerians over the current fuel situation in the country.
His words: “This singular act is a clear indication that the President is concerned with the sufferings being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the fuel scarcity.”
Also yesterday, residents of Yola, Adamawa State, commended President Buhari for apologising over the lingering fuel scarcity, urging him to do something concrete to address the situation.
A cross section of the residents who spoke to newsmen, observed that by that action the president had shown leadership.
“I am impressed by Mr. President’s action; this is a sign of good leadership by taking responsibility,” Malam Musa Abdulrahman, said.
However, Abdulrahman urged the president to take concrete measures as Minister of Petroleum to contain the situation.
Similarly, Messrs Ladan Musa and Ibrahim Abba also lauded the development and urged other leaders to emulate the president by taking responsibility.
On her part, Mrs Jessica Abraham said: “Mr. President has set good example for other leaders like state governors to emulate by taking responsibility and apologising for things that went during their tenure or are going wrong under them.”
Abraham also appealed for quick solution to check the fuel problem which she said had remained a source of concern to Nigerians.
Credit: National Mirror (Nigeria)
