Fuel Scarcity: Reps ask security agencies to go after “saboteur” oil marketers

The House of Representatives has asked relevant security agencies to unravel oil marketers responsible for the recent fuel scarcity across the country.

The lower chamber also mandated relevant committees of the House to investigate the scarcity, and also resolved that downstream regulators should appear before the leadership of the House on Thursday.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of matter of urgent public importance moved by Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi) on Wednesday during plenary.

In recent weeks, motorists across Nigeria have had a hard time getting petroleum products just as commuters continue to lament the ripple effects of the scarcity as a result of skyrocketed transport fares in major cities.

Long queues of vehicles are noticeable at the filling stations. The stations in all parts of the country now sell petrol between N195 and N300 per litre. In some very remote communities, fuel stations sell as high as N500 per litre.

Despite the government’s repeated claims that it had enough petroleum products in stock, the scarcity has persisted amid a poor supply of electricity across the country.

Only last week, the federal government denied increasing the pump price of fuel

Meanwhile, the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) attributed the lingering fuel scarcity in the country to the high costs of vessels and inadequate trucks to deliver petroleum products from depots to filling stations across the country.

The motion

Moving the motion, Mr Abejide said the scarcity persists despite the budgetary allocation for payment of subsidies. He stated that the lingering scarcity is subjecting Nigerians to untold hardship.

He also raised alarm on the potential impact on prices of goods and services. He, therefore, called on NNPC Limited to ensure the importation of sufficient products to meet demands.

According to the lawmaker, the scarcity may not be unconnected with an increase in cost of getting daughter vessels and a drop in the supply of products.

“Another contributing factor to the scarcity of the product may not be unconnected with the increased cost of hiring daughter vessels in the hike in liter charges which hitherto were paid in Naira but are now being charged in US Dollars,” he said.

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He noted that the scarcity has allowed retail outlets to sell different prices despite the products being regulated.

“Uneven pump prices are being dispensed by the filling stations across the country which fuels speculations that government may have begun to remove subsidy on petrol,” Mr Abejide said.

The motion was taken by the House when it was put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who presided over the plenary.