NNPC says consumers have no need to panic as it has enough supply to last for a month.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it has 30 days stock of petrol and cautioned against panic buying by consumers.

The General Manager, Media Relations, of the corporation, Omar Ibrahim, said this on Monday in Abuja, when he also debunked insinuations that the Federal Government has increased the price of fuel.

Mr. Ibrahim said that the artificial scarcity might have been instigated by some oil marketers.

“I can tell you that the Federal Government has not increased the price of fuel. This scarcity might have been instigated by these oil marketers who have disagreement with government,” he said.

The corporation’s spokesman said the petrol stock would last the whole country for 30 days.

Mr. Ibrahim said it is only the NNPC that has been importing fuel into the country since the beginning of the year, as the marketers stopped because of subsidy payment disagreements.

He said the NNPC is fast-tracking the process of supply of the product to its various depots in Lagos, Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt.

Mr. Ibrahim expressed optimism that the situation would soon be resolved so that the marketers could complement imports by NNPC.

Long fuel queues started springing up in most parts of Abuja and environs on Monday, barely a week after a similar experience caused by the NUPENG strike and unpaid subsidy claims.