Queues Return To Filling Stations

Former Group General Managers of nnpc, Mr Andrew Yakubu, Mr Austine Oniwon and Dr Joseph Dahwa, at the investigative hearing of the adhoc Committee on Crude Oil Swap contract agreements’ in Abuja, yesterday.

Long queues have re
turned to filling stations across Rivers  State as most filling stations are closed for business.
The Tide investigation revealed that major filling stations along East West Road were closed when Our correspondent due to lack of availability of petroleum product.
Also along Aba Road axis  the situation remained the same The manager at Prospel filling station, Mr Festus Chukwuma simply told The Tide that the problem started at the weekend due to lack of availability of petroleum proudcts  at the Refinery and major Independent depots.
Chukwuma explained that it was the fault of the  Independent Oil Marketers to hoard the products.
He urged the relevant agencies to make the product available for the major oil marketers, stressing that major marketers have fully complied with the N86.50 per litre directive.
Also speaking to The Tide, the station manager, Bobby filling station along East West Road Mr Albert Sam said, his station was selling products supplied to them on Monday last week, stressing that the queues being witnessed at filling stations in the state is as a result of non-availability of the product at the depots.
Sam urged the government agencies, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to make the products available for oil marketers.
He urged to the public to be patient with the oil marketers and filling station owners as the recent queue at the filling stations in the state were not as a result of hoarding of petrol but rather non-availability of the product at the depots.
Also speaking to The Tide  the Zonal Chairman, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers NUPENG) Comrade Godwin Eruba, blamed the present queue on Federal Government’s refusal to pay major oil marketers that usually import the products on behalf of the government.
Eruba called on the government to pay the outstanding arrears to the oil marketers charging themto march pronouncements with action rather than allow Nigerians to suffer.
He said that the union would soon mobilize its members out to compel the government to fulfill its obligations to Nigerians.
The NUPENG Zonal boss urged filling stations owners not to hoard petrol cum products to avoid unpleansant consequences onthe people.
He called for patience and maximum cooperation from Nigerians in the present situation.

Phillip Okparaji