By Akeem oduyoye
The Federal Government on Monday, 19 February 19, 2023 vowed to address the concerns of oil transporters and distributors to ensure smooth operation despite the high cost, especially in the maintenance of trucks used in the distribution of petroleum products.
This was made known by The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Oil, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri made the promise in Abuja, when he met with some of the oil stakeholders in the downstream sector. The minister, however, said the transporters had demonstrated patriotism and assured of constant and sustained engagement to find lasting solutions to their challenges.
“Nigerians are already going through a lot as a result of the circumstances we found ourselves in.
“The issues they raised are basically commercial and as a government, we have to intervene so that Nigerians will not suffer. At the end of the engagement, there will be a solution,” he said.
The stakeholders include members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Petroleum Tankers Drivers, PTD, and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.
The meeting, it was gathered, followed the fuel queues that returned to various fuel stations in many parts of the country since yesterday.
The queues followed the suspension of operations by NARTO, in fulfillment of their threat to suspend lifting of petroleum products nationwide and down tools from Monday due to high cost of operations and vehicle maintenance.
NARTO and the oil marketers had complained of the high cost of diesel which is over N1,300 per litre required to fuel their trucks for the transportation and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.
In Lagos, many fuel stations visited by this reporter were not selling the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel as of late in the evening yesterday and today, while few marketers that were dispensing have long queues and sell between N650and 700 per litre.
The NNPC Limited retail outlets that currently sell at N617 per litre also had long queues, while black marketers were seen on the roads.
“The issues they raised are basically commercial and as a government, we have to intervene so that Nigerians will not suffer. At the end of the engagement, there will be a solution,” he said.