Ajumogobia Explains Long Queues At Filling Stations

As Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and some cities groan under the yoke of long queues at filling stations, with some motorists spending days, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Hon. Odain Ajumogobia reasons for the queues, blamed its development on hoarders who cause artificial scarcity.

Ajumogobia who is one of the ministers directed by the Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, at last Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting in Abuja, not to proceed on holiday until the situation abates said government did everything possible to ensure a hitch free Christmas for Nigerians and foreigners who are resident in the country as far as the supply of fuel and other petroleum products were concerned.

Answering questions from The Tide correspondent in Abuja, Ajumogobia said the current difficulty in purchasing fuel in the affected cities, especially Abuja was not caused by government but by some marketers who resort to hording of their products, in anticipation of the commencement of government’s planned deregulation of the down stream oil sector.

He said government has not fixed a date for the implementation of the policy and wondered why marketers should subject their compatriots to untold hardship and harrowing experience in purchasing fuel at this time, despite government’s effort at ensuring a hitch free Christmas for all.

“The resurgence of queues in the last few days has been due to hoarding and corrupt tendencies where products have been loaded for distribution into Abuja but diverted and not been sold at filling stations in Abuja.  We discovered that the tankers often only off load part of their contents while holding on to the rest of it with a view to profit earning.  I think it is absolutely related to the marketer’s expectation of the removal of the subsidy and the deregulation of the market “, he explained.

Ajumogobia lamented that “because of the regulated nature of the market, only a few people have licences to import so they control where their fuel goes and  they can easily exploit the situation” which is what Nigerians are currently witnessing at some filling stations.

The oil minister assured that “government is doing its best” to be on top of the situation and ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians who buy fuel at inflated pump price of between N75 and N100, and pay between 50 per cent and about 200 per cent hike on transport.

Ajumogobia said, government would continue to monitor and regulate.  We will bring to book those who take advantage of their dominant position in the market place” to suppress others “by terminating the privilege that a regulated policy confers on them”.     

Justus Awaji, Abuja