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Fuel Scarcity in Abuja, Northern Nigeria as Stations Shutdown
According to the report, the authority told the marketers at the conference that they were still being reimbursed for their claims and had received over N103 billion.
On Tuesday, a large number of filling stations were closed, which resulted in long lines of drivers waiting to purchase Premium Motor Spirit, often known as gasoline, at the few locations in Abuja and neighboring states.
After a gap of roughly a month, gasoline shortages returned on Tuesday in the Federal Capital Territory and its surroundings as drivers and other PMS users speculated about the impending end of fuel lines in Abuja.
Due to the warning strike called by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria’s Suleja Depot Branch, there was a shortage of gasoline on Tuesday and long lines as a result.
The three-day warning strike by the oil marketers began on Monday and prevented their members from transporting fuel from the depot to more than five states. Tuesday’s shortage was brought on by a development in the North, particularly Abuja.
Conoil and Total, two frequently busy gas stations next to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s corporate office, closed their doors to patrons on Tuesday.
The cause was a lack of inventory for them to distribute. However, black marketers took advantage of the chance to entice drivers with higher prices for their commodities by setting up shop in front of the gas stations and across from the NNPC headquarters.
When approached, government representatives remained silent about the circumstance.
For instance, when contacted by phone, Kimchi Apollo, the spokeswoman for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, did not pick up. He also didn’t respond to a text message that was sent to him regarding the issue.
Tuesday, The PUNCH reported that following the start of a three-day warning strike by the Suleja Depot Branch of IPMAN, Abuja, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger and neighboring states may experience another bout of PMS scarcity.
Members of the union went on strike on Monday in opposition to the Federal Government’s ongoing obligation to oil marketers for the payment of gasoline transportation costs, also known as bridging claims.
Yahaya Alhassan, the chairman of the IPMAN Suleja Depot Branch, claimed that because the union had halted trucks from transporting PMS to the northern states, marketers had ceased supplying goods from the depot.
He claimed that marketers were ceasing their services unless the Federal Government paid their N50.5 billion in unpaid bridging claims.
He stated that if the three-day warning strike wasn’t cancelled the money is not sent by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
“If they (NMDPRA) fail to pay us at the end of the warning strike on Wednesday, the cessation of supply would continue indefinitely,” Alhassan said, adding that all of the association’s requests for the authority to settle the debt had been ignored.
Similar to this occurrence, the National Executive Committee of IPMAN announced on Tuesday that it had been made aware of a number of unjustified attacks against members carrying petroleum goods at both NNPC and private depots.
According to the report, the attacks in Rivers State were carried out “by a group of enraged individuals employing the army and police and claiming to be acting on orders from above.”
According to IPMAN President Debo Ahmed, the association’s members that we have not given anyone permission to threaten or intimidate our members in the name of collecting a levy.
“On behalf of IPMAN NEC, I order that you cease all work wherever you see them carrying out this nefarious scheme.”
Payments for marketers’ claims are still being made, and N103 billion has been distributed, according to the NMDPRA, The Northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum and NNPC Ltd. met on September 5 and 6, 2022, according to a statement the NMDPRA released on Tuesday night in response to the development.
According to the report, the authority told the marketers at the conference that they were still being reimbursed for their claims and had received over N103 billion.
The discussion today covered topics such as bridging claims, among other things,” it said.
The authority continued, “The payment of bridging claims is an ongoing procedure, and monies are given as they are received from advertisers.
