Kachikwu Blames Fuel Scarcity On Supply Shortfall – As PENGASSAN Issues FG 7-Day Ultimatum – To Address Anti-Labour Practice

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu says the major cause of the fuel scarcity currently being witnessed across the country is shortfall in supply of petroleum products.
Kachikwu, who stated this in a news briefing yesterday in Abuja, however, said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was making efforts to ensure that queues at filling stations disappeared in a couple of days.
“Presently, queues in Lagos have reduced. We know that Lagos, Abuja, Benue, Port Harcourt were among the worst-hit areas.
“Benue has been dealt with; Port Harcourt is quite moderated. Apart from these areas, other places in the country are probably liquid.
“The major problem is the gap in terms of volume, because NNPC is the only one importing the product to the country,” he said.
The minister assured that there was adequate storage facility for imported products, adding that emergency measures were in place to ensure that the products were available during the Yuletide and post-January.
He said that four vessels laden with petroleum products would “berth in a few days and a total of 20 cargoes are also expected with petroleum products’’.
Kachikwu said that the NNPC had, as at Wednesday, discharged products at its depots, adding that emergency supply, quick truck delivery and stricter monitoring were measures adopted to ensure that queues disappeared.
He added that NNPC would use additional trucking to major cities using strategic reserves from Suleja, Minna, Gusau and Gombe.
This, he said, would help to service Abuja, Kano and Sokoto axis to feed the North-West, North-East.
“I have asked the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency to ensure stricter sanctions on any station that refuses to abide by the rules.
“They need to take a firm action to ensure that we get quick results,’’ he said.
Kachikwu further assured that the market would be flooded with more products to cushion effects of over-subscription through Kaduna refinery production, adding that Port Harcourt was expected to start producing 2.1 million litres of petrol per day.
He said that it was expected that with the adopted strategies, the queues would “slide down’’ in one week.
On long-term strategy, he said that ultimate result would come when the refineries resumed optimal production.
The minister said that work would commence effectively in the refineries in January.
Executive Secretary of DPR, Mr Modecai Ladan said that many sanctions awaited filling stations found compromising the dispensing process, warning that the stations would be shut down or charged N275 per litre.
He said that any station found hoarding products would either be sealed or its product auctioned or dispensed free-of-charge to consumers.
Ladan added that depending on the offence, defaulters may be shut down for six months or blacklisted.
Our correspondent reports that a drive round Abuja metropolis and highways revealed that only a few filling stations were opened for operation, serving long queues.
Meanwhile, PENGASSAN has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address injustice and lawlessness in the oil and gas sector companies or face a nationwide strike from December 18.
General Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Lumumba Okugbawa gave the ultimatum in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
Okugbawa said this was imperative in order to address anti-labour issues and lawlessness by some indigenous oil and gas companies and marginal field operators by relevant agencies of government.
He said if this was not addressed properly, it would culminate into the shutting down of all oil and gas installations, including disruptions to fuel supply and distribution across the country.
The unionist said the anti-labour practice includes the termination of employment of any worker who indicated willingness to belong to the union.
“Those that are threatened and compelled to disown the union are then treated as slave workers within their own country.
“The case of Neconde Energy Ltd (of Nestoil Group of companies) is particularly worrisome as the issue of dignity in labour and infringement on workers’ rights to Freedom of Association is foreign to them.
“This has led to mass sack of workers that joined the union and dehumanisation of some in total disregard to rule of engagement and the laws of the land.
“The actions of companies such as Neconde in mass sack of Nigerian workers contribute in no small measure to the unending militancy in the Niger Delta.’’
He said Neconde had not only conducted itself as being above the provisions of extant laws and regulations guiding the operations of oil and gas companies in Nigeria, but also severally boasted that no government agency would call it to order.
“Having explored all options without getting the necessary understanding, and an apparent failure of relevant authorities of government to call to order these recalcitrant organisations especially Neconde, we are giving the Federal Government and its relevant agencies seven-days’ notice to embark on nationwide strike effective Dec. 18.
“ If government fails to direct the management of Neconde and other companies to recall our sacked members, as the only option to address this injustice and lawlessness.
“PENGASSAN appeals to all Nigerians to show understanding and to use this window to stockpile adequate quantity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and other petroleum products that will last them during the period as this strike will be indefinite.’’