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Fuel scarcity: we are not on strike – PENGASSAN

By BusinessNews Staff on February 20, 2014

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association on Wednesday in Abuja said that the union was not on strike.

The General Secretary of the association, Mr Bayo Olowoshile, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Olowoshile, who was reacting to the sudden reappearance of long queues in some filling stations in some parts of the country, said it had nothing to do with them.

According to him, the delay by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency to release the first quarter import allocations is already putting pressure on the available fuel stock.

“The current ongoing investigation of funds allocated to the organisation by the National Assembly is also not helping matters.’’

Olowoshile explained that Nigeria produced only 30 per cent of the product, adding that it was not enough to meet the demand of Nigerians.

NAN reports that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, had on Tuesday, appealed to the Federal Government to intervene to ensure the timely approval of importation of petroleum products.

The Lagos Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Mr Tokunbo Korodo, made the appeal in Lagos.

The call by NUPENG was sequel to similar appeals made by Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria and other interest groups in the oil sector.

“The danger in the delay is that it will cause artificial scarcity when you are not allocating as at when due.

“There is no way the distribution chain will not be disrupted and when the distribution chain is disrupted, it is going to affect the loading system at the depot.’’

NAN also reports that the PPPRA has yet to give approval for the importation of petroleum products this year which is expected to be done every quarter.

[Punch]

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