Marketers of petroleum products have said that they are finding it hard to get fuel from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the sole importer of the product at the moment.
The marketers have resorted to sourcing for refined petroleum products from neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Togo and Cameroun.
According to petroleum downstream sources, some marketers, who have reportedly lost interest in the Federal Government’s indecision on the continuation of the fuel subsidy regime, are also diverting their imported products to the neighbouring countries, where they are sure of getting real value for their products.
The Vice Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Western Zone, Mr. Kunle Bamigboye, said the current petrol scarcity was as a result of acute shortage in fuel supply to depots, noting that the NNPC had stopped selling petrol in the last one week.
The DPR , on its own part had accused marketers of distorting the status quo in the market, thereby causing fresh scarcity of petroleum products in the country, especially petrol. The regulator has also issued a fresh threat to marketers, who engage in sharp practices as the petrol scarcity has persisted.
Speaking on behalf of the Acting Director of DPR, Mr. Ladan Modaccai, the Deputy Director, Downstream, DPR, Mr. Alphonsus Mudei said marketers benefited and were still benefiting from Petroleum Support Fund, yet they (marketers) were selling petrol above the recommended retail price of N87 per litre.
