Oil marketers talk say the reason why plenty motor dey line up for petrol stations for Abuja and Nasarawa and Niger states na because the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) no dey supply enough Premium Motor Spirit.
But NNPCL, wey be the only people wey dey import di product, say the claim wey di oil marketers talk no be true, say na “price war” dey cause the queues wey dey happen for di areas wey e affect, especially for Abuja.
The queues for petrol for Abuja and the states wey dey around am, and some South-East and South-South states don dey for some weeks now.
Di National Public Relations Officer of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, talk say the queues dey because dem no dey supply enough product. E talk say if dem get enough product, e go reduce how marketers dey profiteer.
Ukadike talk say, “Na when di product no dey reach everywhere na im we go begin see cases of profiteering. But if everywhere get product, we no go see wetin we dey see now.”
E talk say di government, wey dey represented for di business by NNPCL, dey talk say dem dey expect product, but di products never land.
Ukadike talk say di reason why private depot owners raise di cost of dia products na im lead to di increase wey dem do for petrol prices for filling stations.
“We hear say one vessel dey come Calabar to discharge, so Port Harcourt and other states dey expect am. We also hear say anoda vessel dey come Lagos. Warri too dey expect vessel. So, with di few depots wey get product now, we know say dem go dey profiteer and dey rush for PMS. So, e important for NNPCL vessels to come with product, especially as we dey approach Yuletide. But dem don assure us say we go get enough product during Christmas.”
Ukadike talk say even though dem talk say dem go get product, dem no inform marketers when di PMS vessels go land.
Di oil marketer talk say di cost of PMS for most states outside Lagos and South-West na about N650 per litre, and e talk say di average price of N640 per litre for Abuja dey cheap.
“The N640 per litre for Abuja dey cheap if we compare am with N660 per litre average price for South-East. For Owerri, Imo State, na N670, and for Anambra, na N700 per litre. So, those of una wey dey Abuja dey lucky. You sabi say e dey reach close to N800 per litre for some areas for far North.”
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, talk say di position wey oil marketers talk about fuel queues no true.
E talk say, “No be true. Di wahala wey dey Abuja now na because of price war, and dis na normal tin for competitive market. People go prefer queue for petrol stations wey sell at lower prices. While NNPC retail dey sell at N613 per litre for Abuja, oda marketers dey sell from N625 to N650 per litre.”
Meanwhile, people wey observe am talk say while di queues for NNPC stations dey long, dem also see di same queues for Conoil and Total petrol stations wey dey opposite NNPCL headquarters, and for oda places inside Abuja and the states wey dey near am.