The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said on Wednesday in Abuja that it had stepped up supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Mr Fidel Pepple, acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, said the move was to ensure that motorists did not queue for? fuel before , during and after the festive period.
He said the corporation, through its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), had intensified efforts to make fuel available in every nook and cranny of the country.
“We have stepped up fuel supply and distribution across the country to ensure that motorists can drive into any filling station and buy fuel without queuing, especially during this period of the year that comes with a lot of holidays and festivities.
“We have increased the number of truck loadings to all the geo-political zones of the country and we hope to sustain this from now through the Sallah holidays to the Christmas and New Year.”
Pepple said the NNPC had evolved a holistic strategy to supply fuel to Lagos and Abuja because of their peculiar nature.
He gave a breakdown of truck supply to Abuja and its environs for the month of October, and stressed that there had been a sharp rise in the average number of trucks from 98 to 118 daily.
“The number of fuel trucks supplied to Abuja and its environs from the Kaduna Refinery from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18 are: 100, 120, 112 and 131, respectively.‘’
Pepple said the move was responsible for the disappearance of queues in the metropolis, adding that the corporation had increased supply to Lagos and its environs.
“For Lagos, a total of 472 trucks, equivalent of 15,663, 000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)? have been distributed to filling stations across the state between Oct. 17 and Oct. 23.’’????????????
On the diversion of products,which was noticed early last week, he said that a monitoring committee set up by the PPMC had swung into action to track the movement of the trucks to stem the trend.
He called on motorists to avoid panic buying and hoarding as there is enough of the product for the whole country.
“There is no threat of fuel scarcity. We are working round the clock to surmount the distribution challenge, and I can assure that the measures we have put in place are proving effective.’’?
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