Joseph Bakare
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu has begun critical engagement with partners in the fuel supply chain to reduce scarcity as Christmas celebration begins in the week.
The minister has therefore directed the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, to embark on renewed special supply intervention measures to ensure a country-wide availability of petroleum products ahead of the forthcoming yuletide and beyond.
The NNPC in a statement informed that the special supply intervention mechanism which entails the ramping up of additional supply via massive truck-out to guarantee product penetration to the nooks and crannies of the country teed-off over the weekend.
The Corporation stated that daily fuel truck out to locations such as Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Ibadan and Jos have been increased significantly to enhance free flow of products across the country.
The NNPC further noted that it is consolidating its strategic alliance with some major depot owners and oil marketers with strong regional logistics outlay in those areas to ensure maximum infiltration of products especially in the hinterland ahead of the forthcoming Christmas and New year festivities.
The Corporation called on members of the public to refrain from hoarding, product diversion and panic buying of petrol, adding that the intervention measure would help circumvent the challenges posed by the unavailability of pipelines for the transportation of petroleum products.
It noted that product diversion is an economic crime and warned that it will not hesitate to report offenders to the security agencies for prosecution.