|
Fuel scarcity yesterday returned to
Lagos
metropolis one week after the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation NNPC
broker truce in the face off between
Petroleum Tanker Drivers PTD
branch of NUPENG and Lagos State
Government over indiscriminate
parking of trucks on Lagos roads.
Already,long queues have begun to
dot most
filling
stations in the
state,rendering some roads in the
metroplis impassable.
It was gathered that the new
round of scarcity was caused by the
unsettled effect of the previous one
which
hampered filling
stations from
receiving products from depots
.Although some filling station still
have stock of the
product,investigation by reveals that they now hoard same in
anticipation that the crisis will
bite
harder as the days goes by.Further investigation shows that some marketers
are already cashing in on the
chaotic situation to sell petrol
above pump price .Also,unconfirmed
report has it that the scarcity may
spread to
Ogun
and Oyo state.
Confirming the cause of the long queues at filling stations,the
Corporate
Affairs Manager of the
Petroleum
Products Marketing Company PPMC, Mr Ralph Ugwusaid in a telephone chat
that the development was the fallout
of the four -day strike recently
embarked upon by the Petroleum
Tanker Drivers in
Lagos State
He said''About 80% of fuel being consumed in the country today are
imported and the import reception is
in
Lagos at the Atlas Cove which means that about 70% fuel being
consumed in Nigeria comes from
Lagos.
''And because of the way some
unscrouplous Nigerians
vandalised ,petroleum
products pipelines
,most
petroleum Tankers go
to Lagos to bridge products to other
parts of the country'.Unscruopulous
marketers cashed in on the face-off that occured between Tanker Drivers
and Lagos State Government to create
hiccups you are seeing in the market
now .You know our people take
slightest opportunity to strangulate
the market ''.
Meanwhile all efforts to get the
NNPC spoke man Levi Ajuonmua proved
abortive as he said he was in
in a meeting as press time
|
