Contrary to earlier by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it had started offloading products in depots across the country, oil marketers under the aegis of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), has countered the claims, saying its members did not receive any Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in their tanks.
DAPPMA said its members had not received petrol in their depots despite the recent announcement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation that it had started offloading products in depots across the country.
It would be recalled that several filling stations, particularly those run by independent oil marketers in Lagos and Abuja, were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, while queues of motorists and other petrol seekers persisted in front of the few stations that dispensed the product in the Federal Capital Territory and other near-by states.
Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, said in a statement that “While we cannot confirm or dispute the NNPC’s claims of having sufficient product stock, we can confirm that the products are not in our tanks and as such cannot be distributed. If the products are offshore, then surely, they cannot be considered to be available to Nigerians.”
While assuring that its members were ready to undertake 24-hour loading and truck-out if petrol was provided to them by the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, Adewaole averred that “The NNPC imports and distributes through DAPPMA, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria. Our members pay the PPMC/NNPC in advance for petroleum products, and fully paid up PMS orders that have neither been programmed nor loaded are in excess of 500,000 metric tonnes, about 800 million litres as of today, and enough to meet the nation’s needs for 19 days at a daily estimated consumption of 35 million litres”.
However, when contacted to react to the claim by DAPPMA that its members had no PMS in their various depots, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said, “We are verifying the authenticity of that claim because we have been supplying them with products. Even as of yesterday, we supplied products to the depots.
“However, they (DAPPMA) should complement the efforts of the NNPC. We have been supplying DAPPMA and MOMAN with products. We are replenishing their stock.”
Checks across major cities on Wednesday evening showed a slight improvement when compared with what obtained before Christmas and Boxing Day, December 20.
