Fuel scarcity: Kano fuel supply insufficient – DPR

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

The Kano office of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has attributed the on-going fuel scarcity in the state to insufficient supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

This disclosure was made by the DPR Operation Controller, Kano office, Saiyadi Suleiman Abubakar while responding to questions from journalists during an inspection tour to filling stations conducted by the Kano office of DPR yesterday.

“ Honestly speaking, I cannot tell you that we are getting sufficient supply. Under normal circumstance, the normal sufficiency level of fuel in Kano is eighty to hundred trucks per day. But now we hardly have half of the normal supply”, he said.

The Controller also debunked the insinuation that the fuel scarcity in the state is as a result of hoarding the product by marketers at filling stations.

“ We have invited you here to see by yourself because of the series of allegations and insinuations that the marketers are hoarding the product. So we have gone round the filling stations with you and you have seen that no fuel station is hoarding the product. You have seen that there are some stations that are selling the fuel and are selling at the approved pump price, that is N97 per litre. That is the essence of this exercise, to go round with the journalists and report what you have observed.”

Meanwhile, during the inspection tour, our reporter observed that some of the filling stations of the major and independent marketers were selling the fuel while some were not.

However, at the Conoil along Sabo Bakin-Zuwo road, our reporter observed 12,000 litres were sold yesterday after the manager said they started selling at 7:00am.

At Rimi Holdings, when DPR arrived, our reporter observed that the product was just being discharged from the tanker and the sell was not in progress.

“ I can say that the fuel scarcity is artificial; but the supply is improving as the product is always brought day by day. So, maybe before the end of the week, you may not see any queue again”, he said.