December 24, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathized with Nigerians over their suffering occasioned by the scarcity of petrol across the country, and reassured that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is on top of the situation.

The President, who was reacting to the long queues of motorists at various filling stations across the country, in a statement personally signed by him and posted on his twitter handle, said the scarcity was regrettable.

He stated that he was being briefed regularly on the matter by the NNPC and assured that the situation would improve positively in the next few days.

President Buhari disclosed that he had already directed the regulators to step up their surveillance and bring an end to hoarding of the products and price inflation by marketers.

““The fuel scarcity being experienced nationwide is regrettable. I sympathize with all Nigerians on having to endure needless fuel queues.

“I’m being regularly briefed, especially on the NNPC’s interventions to ensure that there is enough petrol available during this period and beyond.

“I have the NNPC’s assurance that the situation will improve significantly over the next few days, as new shipments and supplies are distributed across the country.

“I have also directed the regulators to step up their surveillance and bring an end to hoarding and price inflation by marketers,

“Let me also assure that the relevant agencies will continue to provide updates on the situation. I thank you all for your patience and understanding.”

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) monitoring the fuel situation reported that a litre of fuel now sells for between N175 and N250 in most filling stations owned by the independent petroleum product marketers across the country.

A motorist in Mararaba, Alhaji Mansur Mande told NAN that he bought 4-litre gallon of fuel at the cost of N1,200 on Saturday.

A NAN correspondent in Enugu who visited the filling stations in the city on Sunday observed that the product was sold for N250 per litre.

NAN, however, observed that major marketers like Total, Oando and NNPC filling stations were selling the product at the official price of N145 per litre but in chaotic situations and endless queues at the stations.

Similar chaotic situations are being reported from other parts of the country including Lagos, Sokoto, Kano Port Harcourt and Ibadan.