- By Halimah Olamide
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited has said that thunderstorm and flood have caused the growing scarcity of petroleum products in some parts of the country.
The company said the weather elements have combined to create logistics challenges making it hard for distribution to happen.
According to Mr. Fem Soneye, Chief Communication Officer of NNPC, “the fuel queues seen in the FCT and some parts of the country, were as a result of disruption of ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, between Mother Vessels and Daughter Vessels resulting from recent thunderstorm.”
He said the adverse weather condition “has also affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs and transportation of products to filling stations, causing a disruption in station supply logistics.”
Fuel queues have surfaced in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan and many other Nigerian cities.
The NNPC stated further that it was impossible to load petrol during rainstorms and lightning following compliance with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) regulations because of the flammability of petroleum products.
“Adherence to these regulations is mandatory as any deviation could pose severe danger to the trucks, filling stations and human lives.
“Similarly, the development was compounded by consequential flooding of truck routes which has constrained movement of PMS from the coastal corridors to the Federal Capital, Abuja.
“The NNPC Ltd is working with relevant stakeholders to resolve the logistics challenges and restore seamless supply of petrol to affected areas.
“Already, loading has commenced in areas where these challenges have subsided, and we are hoping the situation will continue to improve in the coming days and full normalcy would be restored.
“The NNPC also calls on motorists to avoid panic buying and hoarding of petroleum products.”
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