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Queues spread as petrol hits N1,100/litre in Abuja, others

Published
9 months agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
9th July 2024
By Okechukwu Nnodim
The queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, persisted in Abuja and neighbouring states on Monday, as it also spread to Lagos and other regions across the country, with marketers stating that the situation might drag till the weekend.
As motorists spend hours in queues at the few filling stations that dispensed the product, black marketers used the opportunity to raise their prices to between N1,000 and N1,100/litre, while some retail outlets increased the pump price of petrol to N900/litre, particularly in Abuja, Nasarawa and Niger.
This came as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited explained that the queues were due the recent thunderstorm and challenges of logistics that disrupted activities at fuel loading jetties.
It, however, stated that the company was working with stakeholders to resolve the situation and clear the queues.
Reacting to this, the President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, confirmed that NNPC had assured marketers that the matter was being addressed.
He, however, explained that the queues may not disappear in the next couple of days, stressing locations far away from major depots would experience lengthier days of fuel queues.
“Once they start loading, it takes some days to clear the queues. And don’t forget that filling stations in Abuja get products from Lagos, Oghara, Warri, Port Harcourt or Calabar, and that takes more than three days turn-around time to accomplish,” he stated.
On whether the situation was being resolved as stated by NNPC, Gillis-Harry said, “Yes it is being addressed and we’ve had an in-depth review of the matter. They’ve given us assurance that they are working on it and so we should be able to get products in our retail outlets.
“We could see what their challenges were, but during our conversation we were able to know that NNPC is working hard to tackle this situation. So we are certain that in the coming days petroleum products should be available and circulate widely.”
Gillis-Harry, however, stated that marketers could not confirm the claim of thunderstorm disrupting the loading of products at jetties, as stated by NNPC.
“Rather, as far as we are concerned there is a supply glitch which is now being addressed by NNPC,” the PETROAN president stated.
Gillis-Harry stated that to get a lasting solution to fuel scarcity and queues in Nigeria, the government and NNPC must work with downstream oil sector operators.
“We had recommended that NNPC should have a clearly-defined council made up of all the grassroot knowledge of the business so that when we sit down and discuss we can always project what is likely going to be our problem based on empirical evidence. We should be data-driven by the design and plan that we put together,” he stated.
Inadequate supply
However, a major dealer in the downstream oil sector insisted that there was inadequate supply of PMS by NNPC and that this was due to shortage, adding that the queues had spread to Lagos.
“The product is not there. If the product is there people will lift it and there won’t be queues. So I don’t think the queues will disappear any time soon, it might drag till weekend.
“This is because even in Lagos, when I was coming to office today, I saw queues from the MRS station in Alakaa to around the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
“So there are queues in Lagos too, not just in Abuja and states in that axis. The government and NNPC will keep assuring Nigerians, but it is until we see the product that you can say their assurances are true,” the dealer, who spoke anonymously due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, stated.
The marketer further noted that there was no guarantee that the queues would clear in the next few days, particularly in states far away from loading depots in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar.
“I don’t think the queues will clear any time soon and not tomorrow because depots are not loading. I know the kind of pressure that came on me today, people pleading that I should just put them on programme.
“But why should I put you on programme when the product is not there? And again there have been demands to supply the limited products available to Abuja. So I can’t put you on programme until we are sure of the presence enough product,” the source stated.
NNPC blames thunderstorm
This came as NNPC explained on Monday that the queues in different parts of the country were due the recent thunderstorm and challenges of logistics that disrupted activities at fuel loading jetties.
NNPC’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, as the scarcity of petrol grew worse.
“The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that the fuel queues seen in the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) and some parts of the country, were as a result of disruption of ship-to-ship transfer of petrol between mother vessels and daughter vessels resulting from recent thunderstorm.
“The adverse weather condition has also affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs and transportation of products to filling stations, causing a disruption in station supply logistics.
“The NNPC Ltd also states that due to the flammability of petroleum products and in compliance with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency regulations, it was impossible to load petrol during rainstorms and lightning,” the company stated.
It stressed that “adherence to these regulations is mandatory as any deviation could pose a severe danger to the trucks, filling stations and human lives.”
The national oil firm further stated that the development was compounded by consequential flooding of truck routes which had constrained the movement of PMS from the coastal corridors to the federal capital, Abuja.
“The NNPC Ltd is working with relevant stakeholders to resolve the logistics challenges and restore seamless supply of petrol to affected areas.
“Already, loading has commenced in areas where these challenges have subsided, and we are hoping the situation will continue to improve in the coming days and full normalcy will restored.
“The NNPC also calls on motorists to avoid panic buying and hoarding of petroleum products,” the company stated.
Situation in states
Residents of Ogun State bought PMS at between N700 and N750/litre in most of the independent filling stations in the state on Monday.
It was, however, observed that some of the filling stations did not sell the product to customers on Monday. The filling stations that had queues were the ones operated by NNPC and it was because they dispensed PMS at N580/litre.
But in Sokoto State, the fuel scarcity persisted on Monday, as residents decried the situation and the hike in the pump price of the commodity to between N900 and N950/litre.
Most independent marketers in Sokoto did not dispense petrol on Monday. A motorist, Salami Isa, who spoke with one of our correspondents, said most of the filling stations were selling at exorbitant prices.
“The fuel issue is getting out of hand now as things are just too expensive and we still have to pay through our nose to get fuel,” he stated.
PMS in Asaba, the Delta State capital and its environs was sold at between N730 and N790/litre.
Marketers such as Matrix, Northwest and RainOil sold petrol for as high as N730, while dispensed theirs at N765 in Asaba.
But in locations like Ibusa, Issele-Uku, Issele-Azagba, and Agbor, among other towns, fuel was sold at between N765 to N790/litre without queues.
However, long queues were observed at the NNPC mega filling station along Benin-Asaba Express which dispensed the product at N590/litre.
There were no queues at petrol stations in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday, while petrol was still sold at between N600 and N750/litre in the state.
Additional reports by Bankole Taiwo, Animasahun Salman, Matthew Ochei, Bola Bamigbola, and Tunde Oyekola
Okechukwu Nnodim
Okechukwu, a journalist with Punch Newspapers, has 15 years experience covering Energy (Power and Petroleum), Finance, Agriculture, Environment, Humanitarian Services, Works and Housing, Trade and Investment, Capital Markets, Aviation and Transport, ICT, among others
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Trending
Plea bargain unfair in criminal justice system – Group

Published
10 minutes agoon
April 3, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), CLEEN Foundation, has lamented the unfairness of plea bargain and its implementation process in the country.
Mr Peter Maduoma, Ag. Executive Director of the organisation, spoke during a media parley with newsmen at the CLEEN Foundation Hall, Innocent Chukwuma House, Ojodu, Ikeja on Wednesday.
Maduoma said that it had become necessary for that section of plea bargain, as contained in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), to be amended and changed for proper justice to be delivered accordingly.
“The plea bargain is very unfair and it is one of the weaknesses I see in the ACJL.
“A situation where somebody has stolen N50 billion and then, through plea bargain, is ordered to pay a certain amount and then after that, the matter is settled.
“This is very unfair and I will like the media to continue to publicise and write on the unfairness of that section of the law until it is amended and changed.
“A law cannot be cast in stone; So, we need to continue to improve on it but that aspect of the ACJL has not yielded much benefit to anybody,” the director said.
Maduoma said that the plea bargain was mostly exploited by security agencies and especially politically exposed people, who after embezzling money, settle to pay back a meagre amount as settlement.
“Thereafter, all charges will be dropped against them; however, what that money would have done and the lives that had been affected negatively by such act, is not replicable.
“Once a crime is committed, it beholds on the state to ensure that justice is served.
“However, what we have clearly happening is that at the point of investigation, they quickly introduce plea bargaining as alternative to that person going through the justice route.
“So, once this happens, it offers that person some level of safe guard and that safe guard means that he no longer gets to be entirely processed through the court”.
Hashim said that plea bargain was actually not being implemented in the actual sense as the law had stipulated it.
He said that no matter what the plea bargain arrangements were, it was actually made to be an arrangement that offered a speedier process for justice to be served.
“But they cut off the aspect that borders around punishment and at the end of the day, make it a win-win for both the perpetrator and the state.
“This is actually the consequence for the poor nature of conceiving the law and how we have also implemented it,” Hashim said.
(NAN)
Trending
Delta police arrest father, second wife over death of three sisters

Published
2 hours agoon
April 3, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Delta State police command has arrested a man and his second wife over the death of three sisters in Delta State.
The three sisters of the same parents have reportedly died while on a visit to their father’s residence at the Delta Steel Company, DSC, Township, Oruhworun, Udu local government area of Delta state.
Reports said that the sisters live apart from their father who remarried after the death of their mother but occasionally pay visits from time to time.
“The incident has sent shock-waves through the community, especially as it comes less than a year after the death of their biological mother.
“Their father remarried shortly after their mother passed on, with the stepmother reportedly being a close friend of the late woman (their mother),” a source said.
Ekwutosblog learnt that the sisters allegedly returned from a birthday party the previous day to their father’s DSC residence only to be found foaming at the mouth the next day.
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Edafe Bright, confirmed the incident, saying, “We are treating this as a suspicious death and are exploring all angles.
“The public will be updated as we make progress.”
In a related development, two Tiv boys from Benue state have been arrested in connection with the alleged killing of yet-to-be-identified Engineer contracted to construct offices at Akwukwu-Igbo, the headquarters of Oshimili North local government area in Delta state
According to sources, the incident occurred in December 2024, but details only emerged recently after two suspects were arrested in connection with the crime, while the cause of the dastardly act remained unknown.
Community source revealed that “the suspects, identified as Tiv youths from Benue state, allegedly killed the Engineer and concealed his body in a shallow grave inside a farm.
Also, Edafe confirmed that the body has been exhumed.
“We are aware of the incident and our men are working to ensure others involved are apprehended,” he assured.
Trending
Key witness, Cheryl Zondi breaks down as court acquits Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso on all charges of r3pe and human trafficking

Published
15 hours agoon
April 2, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Cheryl Zondi, a key witness in the case against Nigerian pastor, Timothy Omotoso, was overcome with emotion in court after he was found not guilty of r3pe and human trafficking.
LIB reported that the High Court in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa acquitted the 66-year-old pastor and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
The trio faced 32 counts of charges which included racketeering, trafficking in persons, r3pe and s3xual assault.
The ruling, which has shocked many, left Zondi visibly distressed as she reacted to the verdict.
LIB further reported in 2018 that Zondi, who claimed she was sexually assaulted by pastor Omotoso, waived her right to anonymity in the trial because she wanted the world to know the type of person he is.
“We took it upon ourselves to go through a humiliating process to have our dignity stripped from us in public, to be called names and have lies and all sorts of fabrications spread about us online, walking in the streets. Our lives have never been the same since we came out about this and one has to wonder if this is what the last years have come down to,” she said.

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