Black entrepreneurs make brisk enterprise amid queues, NNPC says Apapa depot empty
Queues will ease off earlier than Sallah break subsequent week, say MEMAN, IPMAN
Petroleum entrepreneurs say the non-availability of Premium Motor Spirit in filling stations situated in Lagos and Ogun states is on account of scarcity in provide.
Equally, the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted confirmed that there have been no merchandise in its Apapa depots.
Saturday PUNCH studies that lengthy queues resurfaced in filling stations throughout the 2 states on Friday, creating concern of impending gas shortage.
Our correspondents, who went spherical some elements of Lagos and Ogun states, reported that the queues of determined motorists in among the filling stations affected the free circulate of site visitors.
On the Oando filling station in Alapere, Lagos, commuters have been held in site visitors as motorists struggled to purchase gas. The station stopped meting out gas later within the day.
There have been lengthy queues on the Conoil filling station, whereas the TotalEnergies station in the identical space was not meting out gas to clients.
It was noticed that many stations didn’t dispense gas and this elevated the strain on the few ones the place the product was accessible.
The NNPC station at Fadeyi didn’t promote petrol as of midday on Friday, whereas the NIPCO station recorded a protracted queue of autos ready to get Premium Motor Spirit.
There have been additionally lengthy queues of motorists on the AP filling station in Onipanu.
The Mobil filling stations at Palmgrove, Alausa and Mile 2 areas of the state didn’t open for enterprise.
The Enyo filling station at Ojodu junction had lengthy queues when one in all our correspondents acquired there.
It was the identical state of affairs at Eterna filling station at Oworonshoki, Northwest in Oju-Elegba, TotalEnergies and MRS in Surulere.
The NNPC, Mobil, TAS, NIPCO, Enyo, As-Salam and different filling stations alongside the Mowe-Ibafo route in Ogun State didn’t promote petrol too.
Equally, the Capital and Enyo filling stations at Berger didn’t promote PMS as on the time of submitting this report.
The Rain Oil and NNPC stations in Ibafo, Asese and Mowe areas had lengthy queues of motorists, whereas different stations alongside the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been shut.
The state of affairs affected the variety of business autos on the roads.
At Mile 2, some younger males engaged within the sale of the product in jerrycans at N800 per litre.
Business motorcyclists, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH, stated that they had been shopping for from the black entrepreneurs since Wednesday.
A buyer on the Ikotun Idimu Street in Lagos, who gave his identify as Mr Ejiogbu, stated, “I simply observed there are lengthy queues in filling stations round right here and I don’t know why it’s only the NNPC station that’s meting out gas within the space.
“I began noticing the shortage and queues all over the place two days in the past and I don’t know why.”
It was noticed that the shortage has began affecting transport fares.
A dealer, Mrs Ada Herbert, stated, “Ikotun to Cele Specific was between N400 and N500, however right this moment, drivers pegged it at N600; I don’t know if it was on account of the gas shortage.”
On the Mobil filling station at First Gate alongside the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, there was a brief queue of motorists ready to purchase gas in jerrycans.
One of many gas attendants stated the station managed to get gas after three days of no provide.
“They simply got here to provide gas for us now. We didn’t have gas for over three days. I don’t know why they didn’t convey it earlier. What issues is that we’ve gas to promote now,” the attendant, who declined to offer his identify, stated.
Motorists additionally queued as much as purchase gas on the Mobil station at Alakija, the place PMS was offered gas for N605 per litre.
The Nationwide Vice President of the Impartial Petroleum Entrepreneurs Affiliation of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, had stated on Monday that there was just a little hiccup within the distribution of the product and expressed optimism that normalcy could be restored after the Easter break.
Fashola said, “Sure, I believe there was just a little infraction in provide. The Easter holidays from Friday to Monday additionally added to the state of affairs. I believe from Wednesday it can ease off.
“There was little drawback with provide even earlier than the vacations. There was just a little hiccup in provide, and the vacation added to it. I’m certain will begin getting higher after the vacations.”
Nonetheless, the state of affairs appears to be getting worse 4 days after the Easter break.
NNPC, entrepreneurs converse
The spokesperson for the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, in a message on Friday, confirmed that there have been queues at NNPCL stations, saying there have been no merchandise on the firm’s Apapa depots.
In line with him, the NNPCL has carried out a evaluate and there’s no signal of shortage in Lagos.
Soneye said, “There have been no merchandise at our Apapa depots. We’ve carried out a evaluate and there was no signal of shortage in Lagos.
“It’s only the NNPC Retail stations which have queues on account of our worth differential.”
Nonetheless, the Main Energies Entrepreneurs Affiliation of Nigeria differed with the NNPCL because it confirmed queues at its filling stations.
The Govt Secretary of MEMAN, Clement Isong, stated there was low inventory over the Easter weekend for among the members, including that this resulted from truck out to provide stations with out replenishment at its depots.
Isong stated this led to outages in some shops through the previous week.
Nonetheless, he said that the depots have been at present receiving PMS provides from the NNPC Buying and selling and would proceed to take action all through the weekend.
Isong stated, “Thanks for reaching out to us relating to the current issues about gas shortage. We perceive the significance of addressing these points promptly and transparently to supply readability to the general public.
”There was low inventory over the Easter weekend for some MEMAN members ensuing from truck out to provide stations with out replenishment at our depots.
“This led to outages in some shops through the previous week. Depots are at present receiving PMS provides from the NNPC Buying and selling and shall proceed to take action by means of the approaching weekend.
”Shifting ahead, we need to guarantee the general public that provides have resumed and all MEMAN members are collaborating intently to expedite the distribution course of. Members are working tirelessly at our depots, together with prolonged hours and weekends, to make sure that shops are adequately stocked.
”Our collective objective is to eradicate gas queues and stabilise the provision chain earlier than the upcoming Sallah holidays subsequent week.”
Fashola additionally confirmed that the depots had began loading gas.
He stated, “It’s good to not enable queues to happen in any respect as a result of to arrest the queues often takes just a little time. However from what I noticed yesterday (Thursday), over 400 vehicles went to the MRS depot to load gas. So, I’m very assured that the queues will quickly ease off. You understand when it begins, we’ve to double efforts to handle the state of affairs.
“Like I stated earlier than, there was just a little shortfall in provide and the Easter holidays compounded the problem for us. However with the best way they’ve began working yesterday all through the weekend, I’m certain by Monday we should always have a reduction.
“When issues like this occur, individuals will begin partaking in panic shopping for. You see individuals with jerry cans going to stations to purchase gas simply to maintain. That is very dangerous and harmful. Folks have to be sensitised to this.”
He debunked rumours that entrepreneurs have been hoarding gas as a result of the Federal Authorities wished to cut back costs.
