NNPC Blames Customs, Navy For Fuel Scarcity

Activities of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Navy at the ports are responsible for the recent shortfall in fuel supply in the country, an official of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said.

The NNPC Group General Manager (Public Affairs), Dr Levi Ajuonuma,  disclosed this yesterday in Abuja in an interview with newsmen.

He explained that some products-laden vessels had been detained at the Apapa Port for three weeks by the Customs and the Navy, thereby causing a hitch in the product supply system.

“We are still importing petroleum products, but the challenge right now is that a number of the vessels bringing products have been detained by the Customs and the Navy so they could not discharge.

“The most worrisome aspect of this development is that they are detained at the berthing point such that other vessels with petroleum products are deprived from berthing and discharging,’’ he said.

He, however, explained that one of the ships detained by the Customs was alleged to have contravened the rule three years ago when it brought petroleum products into the country without a temporary import permit.

He said though the corporation was not against the Customs and the Navy’s checks, their activities should not impede the discharge of the products.

“We are not saying that they should not detain vessels that contravene our laws, what we are saying is that they should not arrest and detain the vessels at the berthing or discharging point,’’ he said.

He also said the NNPC and its subsidiary, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), were meeting with the relevant agencies in resolving the issues as soon as possible.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday attributed the current fuel scarcity in parts of Lagos and neighbouring states to activities of security operatives at the ports.

A statement issued in Lagos by Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, NNPC Group General Manager (Public Affairs), said that security operatives detained some ships that contravened the Nigerian maritime rules.

“As you are well aware, we are still importing petroleum products, but the challenge right now is that a number of the vessels bringing products have been detained and so they could not discharge.

“The situation has created an armada while what we have in strategic reserve is depleting,” the statement said.

“We are not saying that they should not detain vessels that contravened our laws.

“What we are saying is that they should not arrest and detain the vessels at the berthing or discharging point so as not to block other ships from discharging, thereby cutting off supplies,” the statement said.

He urged Nigerians to shun panic buying as the corporation had enough stock to serve the country for the next 24 days.