The queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, continued on Friday in Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and many other states as the Federal Government threatened to withdraw the operating licences of oil marketers involved in PMS hoarding.
On Friday, long queues of vehicles were observed at various fuel stations across the Federal Capital Territory, with many stations closed due to a lack of supply.
In the Kado axis of Abuja Municipal Area Council, some fuel stations, including AA Rano, were selling petrol at N849/litre, while others remained shut.
The petrol scarcity led to frustration among motorists who spent several hours in queues to get the product.
A taxi driver at an NNPC station, who gave his name as Matthew, expressed his concerns, saying, “I’ve been experiencing a lot of challenges due to the scarcity. It’s been a real headache. When you finally get the money, you’re supposed to spend it with happiness and joy, but instead, you’re spending it with sadness.
“As a taxi driver, I’m struggling to make ends meet. I have to work one day just to get fuel and another day to do my actual job. It’s a constant struggle. We’re facing challenges just to survive, and it’s not giving us any joy. We’re struggling in our own country, and it’s frustrating.
“I implore the government to look into this issue and find a solution. We need a better way forward to bring joy and prosperity back to our lives.”
Reacting to the widespread queues across the country, the Federal Government through its Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, declared that filling stations that hoard petrol and those selling to black marketers in jerrycans would have their licences withdrawn.
Speaking during an inspection tour in Abuja, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMDPRA, Ogbugo Ukoha, warned filling stations to desist from compounding the fuel supply crisis in Nigeria.
In a video clip shared by the regulator during an inspection at one of TotalEnergies filling stations, Ukoha told the managers of the outlet that “you need to take this (warning) very seriously. If you need security reinforcements, speak to your management.”
He said retail petrol stations should stop encouraging the sale of products to black marketers who dispense the products in jerrycans.
This, according to Ukoha, posed serious safety concerns and should be discontinued.
Also on its X handle, the downstream regulator said it had declared war against the illegal sale of petroleum products.
“NMDPRA embarks on a war against the illegal sale of petroleum products, especially PMS in jerrycans. Filling stations are advised to desist from servicing illegal peddlers; failure to do so would result in the suspension of retail licences,” the agency stated.
