Gerard Izuora
Fresh queues emerged today across Lagos state as filling stations ration products to motorists.
This is coming as the NNPC, warned petroleum marketers against hoarding fuel, saying the reward against such act is severe sanction.
The Corporation said security agencies have been detailed to monitor fuel outlets in the country and mete out sanctions against marketers caught hoarding the product.
But supply of fuel to most fuel stations in Lagos and environs Monday worsened by the industrial action embarked upon by members of, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN over large scale sack of its members in Neconde Oil Limited.
Our Correspondent who went round major stations in Maryland Ogba,Fadeyi,Falomo,Ojota,
MRS and NNPC outlets in Ojota and Kudorat Abiola road dispensed the product to customers amidst long queues which disrupted vehicular movement.
Commercial drivers jerked transport fare in the early hours of Monday,while commuters were stranded in bus stops because of pockets of commercial drivers that ply the roads .
Some commercial bus drivers claimed that fuel stations deliberately hoard the product in anticipation of selling same at black market price to customers.
Meanwhile,the NNPC in a statement has assured motorists and other petroleum products consumers not to engage in panic buying.
NNPC ‘s spokesman,Ndu Ughamadu,said in a statement that relevant government agencies are in consultation with industry unions to arrive at an amicable resolution of issues over which there are threats of industrial action.
Meanwhile, the strike action called by PENGASSAN has been suapended indefinitely.
According to a press statement signed by it’s National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Fortune Obi and obtained by Oriental News Nigeria in Lagos said the strike was suspended after the intervention by the Director of DSS, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
The statement said that NECONDE management represented by the managing director and the legal consultants offered a letter of recall to the sacked employees of the company, adding that the management also agreed to allow union to exist in the company.
The Minister of Labour and the union also agreed to resolve anti-union posture by other indigenous companies and marginal field operators, while another meeting was fixed for second week of January 2018 to resolve all outstanding issues.