The directive of the Department of State Services, DSS, for the stakeholders to make the Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol available to Nigerians within 48 hours has been defied, Straightnews has gathered.
Recall that DSS had on Thursday, given the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and oil marketers in the downstream sector 48 hours ultimatum to put an end to the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.
The DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, who made this known while addressing journalists in Abuja, stated that the ultimatum came after the agency held a closed-door meeting with stakeholders in the oil sector, who agreed to end the scarcity within the stipulated time.
Also read: Petrol to cost N410 litre without subsidy – NNPC boss
However, oil marketers, on Friday, said the distribution of the product was still problematic, but expressed optimism that queues for the product at various filling stations would soon disappear.
Similarly, dealers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, threatened to shut down operations if the NNPCL continued to deny them direct access to it in terms of payment for products.
However, a check by Straightnews on Saturday revealed that many fuel stations in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital and its environs are still selling a litre of product to customers at N250.
While Totalfina, Oando and NNPC filling stations in the capital are locked, many stations are still selling the product at exorbitant rate of N250.
Our correspondent gathered that some fuel stations in Abuja satellite areas are selling the product as high as N200 per litre, while stations at the city centre sell between N180 to N190 which is above the official price.
A civil servant, who spoke with our correspondent on the difficulty in getting the product, lamented how oil marketers are allegedly taking advantage of the Christmas season to impose fuel price on users.
According to him, the fuel scarcity being experienced across the country was artificially created by people who don’t care for the poor.
He said, “It is Christmas time, this is what they do every year for their selfish gains. They don’t care about the ordinary Nigerians who depend on fuel to power their little businesses.
“Our problem in this country is that we don’t have price regulators. Nobody regulates prices of products in Nigeria, so anybody can wake up and change the price to whatever they like.
“The DSS gave an ultimatum on Thursday, what are they doing now, have they arrested anybody? We are waiting”.
When DAILY POST contacted the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya on the way forward, he said the ultimatum issued by the Service was already yielding positive results.
Some outlets, according to him, have been asked to sell the product for 24 hours in a bid to ease off the queues.
