Fuel Scarcity: Presidency summons NNPC chief, SSS, other stakeholders

The Presidency on Tuesday in Abuja summoned critical stakeholders in the nation’s oil sector and the leadership of security agencies in the country to end the scarcity of petrol in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting, presided by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, is being held behind closed doors.

The meeting is also being attended by the Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu; Director-General of the State Security Service, Lawal Daura; and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikanti Baru.

Others attending the meeting are the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Muhammed Babandede; some presidential aides and other stakeholders in the oil industry.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 1, during a nationwide broadcast, expressed sadness over the unnecessary hardships inflicted on Nigerians during the Christmas and New Year celebrations following acute petrol scarcity across the country.

He attributed the hardships to the activities of a few but heartless individuals working within the nation’s oil and gas sector.

Mr. Buhari, however, reiterated the determination of his administration to get to the root of the persistent petrol scarcity, and ensure that whichever groups were behind this manipulated blackmail would be prevented from doing so again.

The scarcity is said to be caused by greedy marketers who tried to take undue advantage of the high inter-state movements during the season.

NAN, however, observed that the long queues in filling stations in Abuja and Lagos have disappeared in the last two days as promised by the GMD of NNPC, Maikanti Baru.

Mr. Baru also on Friday vowed that Nigerians would not go into 2018 with the scarcity of petroleum products.

(NAN)