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Economy threatened as fuel crisis worsens

By BusinessNews Staff on May 23, 2015

The current fuel crisis has assumed a frightening dimension in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, as nearly all filling stations in the metropolis have run out of petrol, in what could threaten the nation’s economy that depends almost entirely on imported petrol and diesel in the face of comatose public power supply.

Oil marketers under the aegis of the Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria (MOMAN) have continued to stick to their guns refusing to bring in any fresh consignment of petroleum products in protest against N200 billion they allege the Federal Government owes them in fuel subsidy from previous import arrangement which remains vague to the Nigerian public.

“We have not been paid, so we don’t have money to import. The Federal Government still owes us N200 billion,” Femi Olawore, the executive secretary, MOMAN, restated when BusinessDay reached him through telephone.

And as the fuel supply worsens, Isaac Abere, the general secretary of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) denied claim in some quarters that tanker drivers were refusing to lift products from oil depots.

Abere told BusinessDay that the fuel situation was basically a case between marketers and the government, and that NUPENG needed not be linked to it.

“Issue of fuel supply at this time has nothing to do with tanker drivers. There is no fuel to lift. We understand that major marketers involved in fuel import are scared that the incoming government might renege on payment of outstanding monies owed them. That is the issue,” said Abere.

His views tallied with that of Comrade Abidoye, the Lagos zonal secretary of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), who also told BusinessDay that tanker drivers were employees of truck owners including Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and had limited say over the current fuel scarcity.

Abidoye said they were ready to lift products once supplies were guaranteed at the depots.

“We are on ground, but we can’t do it alone. Lifting of products comprises of marketers, NARTO and us. We are presently off the roads because Lagos State government said we should leave to allow motorists enter since there is no fuel to lift. We are waiting for fuel to come,” said Abidoye.

Surprisingly, however, as the filling stations dry up, black market fuel supply continues to boom, as major roads, highways, street corners and kerb sides are being taken over by black

one singer from Niger puts it in his lyrics. We share a 1,500 kilometre long border with Niger which stretches from Chad to Sokoto, and all the people living along the borders on either side are same people.

“The colonialists separated these people when they partitioned Africa at the Berlin conference in 1885. They separated the Fulanis, Kanuris and the Hausas from their brothers who are presently in Niger.

“They separated the Yorubas of Nigeria and the ones in Benin Republic. They also separated the marketers who are seen with kegs of various sizes and colours in frenzy chase of motorists on highways.

The activities of the black marketers have also raised question bordering on where they get their supplies from since the fuel stations are claiming not to have the product.

Also, despite being an illegal act to sell petrol in open streets, the black marketers have continued brazenly, with the law enforcement agents going about as though this constitutes no offence. At a few filling stations which sold fuel yesterday, queues spilled onto the roads, resulting in gridlock in some parts of the state.

Some of the stations dispensed at between N120 and N150 per litre as against the N87 official pump price, another criminal act to which the industry regulator, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), appears totally helpless to tackle.

[Business Day]

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