3rd June, 2015
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Tuesday said 643 trucks of petrol were supplied to Abuja between last Thursday and June 1, to address the fuel scarcity in the city.
The DPR’s spokesperson, Mr Mohammed Saidu, told NAN in Abuja that filling stations in the FCT received 21.2 million litres (about 643 trucks) between May 28 and June 1.
Saidu said that Suleja depot, which serves Abuja and its environs, had fuel to meet the needs of consumers.
He said that filling stations in Abuja received 4.4 million litres of petrol on May 28, four million on May 29, four million on May 30 and 1.8 million on May 31 respectively.
He said that the volume of petrol released on Monday June 1, to FCT had helped in reducing the tension in the city.
Saidu said that the agency had commenced monitoring of filling stations to check hoarding, overpricing, under dispensing and any other sharp practices.
He warned that any filling station caught indulging in any sharp practices would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The spokesperson expressed the hope that the situation would become normal before the weekend and warned motorists against stockpiling petroleum products.
NAN reports that the scarcity has eased as many filling stations in Abuja have the product and are selling.
In the same vein, Total filling station opposite NNPC towers, Oando filling station near National Planning Commission and Total filling station opposite Twelve Apostles Catholic Church in Area 10, among others were seen selling the product.
All the stations were selling at the official pump price of N87 per litre as against N150 or N250 per litre during the scarcity.
However, long queues are still seen in some filling stations.
At the NNPC Mega Filling Station on Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Central Area, long queues of vehicles stretched to Zone 1, the situation was not different at Mobil Zone 1.
The situation was also the same in all filling stations along Airport Road and the Forte Oil adjacent the NNPC where the queue stretched to the UAC fence.
The ConOil and Total filling stations opposite NNPC headquarters also had long queues.
The availability of petrol, however, is yet to end the activities of black market operators, who sell the product for between N120 and N200 per litre depending on the bargaining power of the buyer.
However, stations outside Abuja, especially in Suleja, Kuje and Zuba-Gwaglada Road, still sell petrol above the official pump price except at stations belonging to major oil marketers.