Fuel

Motorists, workers and traders were yesterday caught unaware by the sudden reappearance of fuel scarcity across the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). While at some bus stops, hordes of commuters struggled to board commercial buses, many filling stations were under lock and key. The Nation, however, gathered that the situation might worsen as depots nationwide stopped loading tankers for deliveries to marketers. Sources close to the depots and marketers said that until they were sure of what price the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would sell fuel to them at the depots, they will remain shut. IPMAN’s National Vice President, Abubakar Maigandi, also confirmed that all the depots had stopped loading. He, however, ruled out allegations that marketers were hoarding fuel. “There is enough product, but up till now, they (depots) refused to load. Our trucks are in all Nigerian depots but they are not loading now. They stopped loading today (yesterday). You know yesterday (Monday) they didn’t load because of the inauguration (of President Bola Tinubu) and the public holiday,” he added. Maigandi said that “panic buying” was the major cause of the long queues seen across the country.
Nation