Blame Customs, Navy for Fuel Scarcity – Levi Ajuonuma, NNPC Spokesman

NNPC spokesperson Levi Ajumona has blamed the ongoing fuel scarcity and depletion of the country’s strategic reserves on the manner the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Customs Services discharge the duties at the ports.

In a statement released yesterday Levi Ajumona said, “”As you are well aware, we are still importing petroleum products, but the challenge is that a number of the vessels bringing products have been detained by the Customs and the Navy, so they could not discharge. But the most worrisome aspect of this development is that they are detained at the berthing point such that other vessels with petroleum products are deprived from berthing and discharging thereby creating an armada while what we have in strategic reserve is depleting.”

The spokesman divulged that one of the vessels recently detained by Customs had the offense of flouting a rule in the country three years ago at which time it introduced petroleum products into the country without a Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) permit.

The NNPC spokesman stated that the NNPC was not against the arms of government discharging their lawful duties but advised that such should be carried out without impediment to the supply of fuel into the country.

He said: “We are not saying that they should not detain vessels that contravene our laws. What we are saying is that they should not arrest and detain the vessels at the berthing or discharging point so as not to block other ships from discharging thereby cutting off supplies.”