A civil society group, under the auspices of Concerned Nigerians, has accused the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mele Kolo Kyari of complicity in the resurgence of fuel queues being experienced in filling stations in parts of the country.
The group also alleged that the NNPC is in the know of the independent petroleum marketers creating artificial scarcity of petroleum products in the country.
It warned that the act of hoarding fuel may plunge the country into economic uncertainty, as it may snowball into inflation.
The petition was signed by the National Coordinator, Deji Adeyanju in Abuja on Tuesday and copied to the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of NNPC.
Recall that the Federal Government extended the timeframe for removal of fuel subsidy by additional 18 months, a development that had initially caused panic buying of petroleum products among Nigerians.
Adeyanju wondered why regulatory bodies have not been intervening in the situation, especially not deeming it fit to prevail on independent marketers.
He lamented long queues across filing stations in the nation’s capital, adding that the marketers always shut down their gates by 6:00pm.
“As you may already know, in recent months, independent marketers of petroleum products have engaged in speculative acts of hoarding petroleum products, particularly PMS, in a bid to criminally increase the prices, cause artificial scarcity and plunge the country into widespread economic chaos.
“For example, filling stations across the nation’s capital are littered with long queues of vehicles seeking to purchase fuel, while the independent marketers ensure that their filling stations are shut for the day by 6pm.
“What is, however, deeply worrisome is that the regulators have not deemed it necessary to call these independent marketers to order but continue to allow them take advantage of Nigerians. At a time when Nigerians are going through excruciating pain, an artificial fuel scarcity is the last thing they should worry about,” he stated.
