The Federal Government today gave the leadership of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to end queues in the nation’s petrol stations within the next 48 hours.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this while fielding questions from State House correspondents, debunked the rumour that government was planning to increase fuel pump price any moment from now.
Mohammed stated: “The government has no intention at all to increase the pump price of PMS. The minister of petroleum resources assured the council that we have enough products till the next one month, even till the end of January (2018)”.
The minister linked the current queues noticeable in fuel stations nationwide, but more particularly in Abuja and Lagos, to the high demand for fuel to in colder regions, adding that “this is winter period, there is always more demand for refined products for petroleum during winter period in the colder countries, this is what we are experiencing now”.
Making further clarification on the deadline given to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachickwu and the management of the NNPC by the government to end the lingering fuel scarcity nationwide, Mohammed confirmed that “the Council gave him, Kachickwu, a marching order that this fuel scarcity should not last beyond this weekend and they are going to work very hard to ensure that it is curtailed” adding that the petroleum minister “assured council that there is actually no cause for alarm”.
