OIL marketers have explained that the reappearance of queues at filling stations in many states is because of the halt in the supply of petroleum products by dealers in a bid to avert losing their assets due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests.
Many states in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, witnessed varying degrees of queues about two weeks ago, which the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited blamed on a “hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels.”
While the company and stakeholders worked together to tackle the challenge, the nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship commenced on Thursday, August 1, 2024, disrupting petrol supply again and causing the reappearance of queues in some states.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, told our correspondent that marketers were advised to close their stations during the protest to avoid losing their assets.
He also stated that many tankers did not load products during the first and second days of the protest, stressing that this distortion in the supply chain would cause shortages in states where the products would have been supplied.
“Although the National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, urged independent marketers to go out and do their businesses normally and asked the security agencies to protect our facilities, it is pertinent to note that as at the time we were about to sell, we were called by the security agencies to step down the selling of products at that time.
“They said this is because they want to be able to control the situation during the protest and the vandalism of marketers’ properties. Now that the trucks are no longer moving due to this protest, the depots are not working, the truck drivers are not driving, particularly during the first and second days of the protest, these issues have disrupted the supply of petroleum products. So it will result in scarcity at the filling stations,” Ukadike stated.
On Friday, this newspaper reported that the hunger protest halted petrol loading at the Lagos depots, causing fuel scarcity to persist.
Sources confirmed to this newspaper that the depot owners refused to open for business over fears of violence.
An operator who pleaded anonymity stated that members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers were ready to support the depots in loading fuel. Still, the depot owners refused to take a risk.
“There were no activities at the Lagos depots on Thursday and Friday for two obvious reasons. One, we are still battling the paucity of the product; and two, the security concern on the roads after loading due to the hardship protest.
“NUPENG is ready to support depots to load, but the security situation is a drawback. Hopefully, if the situation improves later today loading may continue tomorrow,” the source had stated.
The IPMAN official, however, stated on Sunday that some trucks had commenced skeletal operations, and expressed hope that the fuel supply situation would improve provided the protests abate considerably.
“But now that some trucks have started skeletal operations and businesses are gradually resuming, the independent marketers will also return to business to address the fuel scarcity. However, it will not disappear immediately, rather it is going to clear gradually.