NNPC Normalises Petrol Supply In Week Of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Strike
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) began its week with the task of normalising the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at different filling stations in the country especially the FCT following the strike embarked upon by Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) over remuneration.
The normalisation started with the corporation increasing the daily supply of petrol across the country from 550 trucks to 1,661 trucks to combat the buildup of fuel queues in some parts of the country.
It would be recalled that the intervention of Malam Mele Kyari, NNPC Group Managing Director, led to the suspension of the strike by the PTD for one week.
Speaking in a similar vein at the State House after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Kyari assured that with the resumption of loading, normalcy would soon return to the fuel stations across the country.
He said the ex-depot price of petrol would remain the same for the month of May, urging marketers not to engage in arbitrary price increase.
Kyari urged motorists to avoid panic buying in order not to compound the situation.
He called on stakeholders in the downstream sector to collaborate with the NNPC to ensure a quick return to the zero-fuel queues situation that Nigerians had been enjoying before the unfortunate disruption of the distribution chain.
Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr Musa Lawan, in the same vein said that there are about two billion litres of PMS in strategic depots across the country to keep the nation well supplied for two months if no drop of fuel was imported in that period.
The PPMC boss explained that the disruption in the distribution chain was caused by the strike embarked upon by Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) over remuneration.
He assured that with the suspension of the strike upon the intervention of the GMD of NNPC, and the resumption of loading, coupled with the extension of loading time, normalcy would soon return to the filling stations.
Also in the week, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers section of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) suspended its industrial action.
This followed the intervention of the GMD of the NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari after a meeting brokered between the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.
Kyari said the Corporation was committed to resolving the issues between both bodies in the interest of Nigerians.
He promised to rally all relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, within seven days to take a critical look at the issues with a view to providing lasting solutions to the problem.
