Fuel Queues Resurface In Abuja, As Retail Outlets Shut Down

Fuel queues resurfaced in the nation’s capital, Abuja, on Tuesday as most retail fuel outlets closed shop, causing gridlock around the territory.

Only a few of the major marketers and NNPC Mega Stations were seen by InsideBusiness dispensing fuel to motorists.

Most independent marketers like Sharon and Eterna Filling Stations did not dispense fuel.

There was a long stretched of queues at the NNPC Mega Station in Zone 1, Wuse, as motorists formed two lanes resulting in gridlock.

While Conoil in Area 10 dispensed fuel to motorists, Oando and Total Filling Stations in Zone 1, Wuse and Area 3, Garki, did not open for sale.

Total and Sharon Filling Stations in Federal Housing Authority, Lugbe, also did not sell fuel on Tuesday.

The scarcity of fuel at the filling stations has forced many motorists, particularly transporters, into buying at the black market at a higher price, ranging between N250 and N300 per litre.

Petrol is sold by independent marketers for N161 per litre while the NNPC Mega Stations in Abuja sells at N158 per litre.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has, however, warned motorists against panic buying.

The NNPC General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, while reacting to the fuel queues in Abuja, said the corporation has over two billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in stock.

Obateru also attributed the queues to the non-lifting of petrol at depots by petrol tanker drivers due to the declaration of curfews by some state governments.

He, however, noted that the current stock can last the country 60 days.

Obateru said, “The disruptions/curtailment of the free flow of vehicular movement occasioned by the end SARS protests and the attendant curfews/ restrictions and vandalism, particularly in Lagos, must have affected petroleum products supply.

“With the easing of the curfews /restriction of movement by various state governors, normalcy is expected to return to the petroleum products supply chain in the next couple of days.

“There is no need for panic-buying, rest assured that the NNPC has over two billion litres of premium motor spirit (petrol) in stock to guarantee steady supply and at least 60 -day-product supply sufficiency to the entire country.”