- The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to stop filling stations
- NUPENG advised that the sealing of filling stations should stop until the scarcity of petrol is over, adding that scarcity will amount to more suffering for motorists
- The vice chairman of NUPENG, southwest, urged DPR to allow independent marketers' filling stations sell their product
The vice chairman of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), southwest, Rotimi Benjamin, on Wednesday, January 24, urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to stop sealing filling stations until scarcity of petrol is over.
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According to him, sealing of filling stations in the face of the lingering fuel scarcity will amount to more suffering for motorists, NAN reports.
NAIJ.com gathers that Benjamin gave the advice during an interview in Lagos.
He said: “We should not deceive ourselves, there is no petrol in our depots at present and most of the independent marketers are struggling to get the product above the depot price. Apart from few major marketers and NNPC retail outlets that are selling at N145, other filling stations are selling petrol at between N170 and N200 in most cities in Nigeria.
“The question now is that why is DPR sealing filling stations when they are aware that the product is not from NNPC depots?
"DPR should allow the independent marketers’ filling stations sell their product. When the product is available in all stations, nobody will tell motorists where to buy the product.
“Sealing of stations and dispensing their petrol free to motorists is economic sabotage on their part because most of them borrowed money from banks to buy the product.
“I am not saying that the department should not perform their duties but sealing is not the best option now."
The vice chairman urged the NNPC to increase the supply of petrol to filling stations in other states the same way it increased supplies to Lagos and Abuja to stop the disparity in the price of petrol.
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that scarcity of petroleum product hit some parts of Lagos and Ogun states as many filling stations visited had no products.
In the Ojodu axis of Lagos, only NNPC station was seen selling fuel as other petrol stations were locked and in Akute area of Ogun state, most petrol stations were shut.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Lagos state chapter, had threatened to shut down over 900 filling stations in Lagos and Ogun following NNPC’s under-supply of premium motor spirit to its members.
Fuel scarcity: This is getting too much for us - Nigerians lament - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng