Nairametrics| For the better part of 9 months now, Nigerians have not had to undergo the ordeal of queueing at filling stations in order to top up their tanks. However, the case could so easily have been different from what we have now if not for special intervention by the Nigerian National Pertroleum Company (NNPC). This was extracted from comments made by the Chiairman of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA, Dapo Abiodun.
According to him, due to challenges in the development of the downstream private sub-sector, marketers have been finding it hard to meet up with their previous quotas of petrol importation.
“In the past, we were importing 70 per cent of products while NNPC was importing 30 per cent, being the supplier of last resort which is their responsibility. They moved to doing 50 per cent and by November, they were doing about 90 per cent of the volumes. “So we have to come and appreciate them because in spite of the constraints that got them to take on the burden of increasing their importation from 30 per cent to 50 per cent and then 90 per cent, there were no hiccups, there were no queues, there were no shortages. We think NNPC should be commended for that.”
In his response, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru said the NNPC was aware of the challenges being encountered in the sub-sector, stressing that he was hopeful that appropriate government agencies would come to their rescue soon.