…Assures petrol-shortage free Yuletide with 1.9bn litres of PMS in stock
_By John Nwokocha, Abuja_
Relief seems to be on the way for Nigerians at last, as efforts to end the lingering fuel scarcity appear positive on Thursday.
The fresh efforts came with the Department of State Services DSS wading into the perennial petrol scarcity across the country.
The DSS had issued a 48- hour altimatum to all stakeholders in the oil sector within which to end the scarcity
Briefing news men in Abuja shortly after a meeting with the Stakeholders by the leadership of the nation’s secret police on the development, its spokesman, Dr Peter Afunnaya said that the Service decided to wade into the development in national interest, adding the service would not fold Its arms to allow some individuals or group to distabilise the country
He said that during the meeting the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited disclosed that it had about 1.9bn litres of PmS in stock which would last for the period of yuletide and long after
He further disclosed that after the expiration of the altimatuum, the DSS would commerce nationwide operation to ensure that the products are made available “no matter whose ox is gorged” as it would no longer businesses as usual
Said he, “it the mandate of the Service to detect and prevent threat to National Security, this is why the Service has to summon the stakeholders meeting in the oil and gas sector to find a lasting solution to the probem before it snowball to crisis
” The stakeholders at the meeting included: Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot operators and National Association of Transport Owners, NATO among others.
” There is an agreement that marketers will be operating for 24hrs on daily basis and that tankers owners said all hands will be on deck to ensure lifting of the products. “IPMAN has also committed itself to ensure that the product is available for 24hrs daily.
” The NNPC Ltd disclosed thatt it has over 1.9bn litres of PMS in stock and also agreed to sell the products at offical ex- Depot price to all Oil marketers Nationwide
“For we at the DSS, we agreed to provide adequate security for fuel distribution.
“Therefore, we insisted that the fuel distribution must improve and all challenges eliminated in 48hrs, and after 48hrs, we will as a matter of urgency carryout operations across the country. And in doing this, we won’t mind whose oars is gored.
” We are sounding a note of warning that it won’t be business as usual. We have set our commands and platform nationwide on high alert and they are to get information on any element who want to obstruct these efforts
” We are also advising the members of the public not to capitalize on the fuel scarcity to take laws into their hands as the Service will deal ruthlessly with individual or groups trying to obstruct even distribution of the product”.
