The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Tuesday, appealed to Nigerians not to engage in panic-buying of petrol.
The Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, disclosed this during an interview with Newsmen in Lagos State.
He said; “I spoke with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria’s (MOMAN) Executive Secretary this morning and he told me they have sufficient stock.’’
“I have directed them to start evacuating the product immediately to filling stations.’’
“(The) NNPC has also confirmed sufficiency and they have commenced evacuation.’’
“From now till tomorrow the situation will be back to normal.’’
“I don’t know what is happening but we are on top of the situation.”
Ahmed also assured that there is enough fuel and therefore, urged members of the public to avoid panic-buying as all efforts are being made to resolve shortage in some filling stations in Lagos and its environs.
In another development, the National Operations Controller of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mike Osatuyi, has attributed the scarcity to unsteady supply in the past few days.
Osatuyi said the unsteady supply of petrol has resulted in the rise of depots prices from N165 to N177 and N178 per litre in Apapa and its environs.
He said; “The marketers will only sell what they buy. If the price of petrol increases, we add our transportation cost and other charges to the selling price.”
The Controller also appealed to NNPC and NMDPRA to supply enough petrol across the Country to ease scarcity.
It was reported that queues are beginning to build in some filling stations in within Lagos State.