Petroleum marketers resume loading at the depots – NMDPRA

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Sunday said operations in depots have fully resumed following the restriction of movements during the recently concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The elections prompted many truck drivers to travel to different parts of the country to exercise their civic duty, the agency said.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency said it is working with other stakeholders to mitigate the challenge being experienced in the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The NMDPRA said the current stock sufficiency stands at 35.39 days for PMS, 34.86 days for diesel (AGO) and 31.36 days for aviation turbine kerosene (ATK).
It said it continues to strive towards guaranteeing supply and distribution reliability nationwide and strongly advises against panic buying.
Last Sunday, fuel queues resurfaced in petrol stations across Abuja, the nation’s capital city, with many motorists scrambling to get petroleum products.
Peoples Daily correspondent who visited petrol stations on Sunday found that some filling stations were shut to buyers while others along Abuja -Keffi road, Nyanya and Karu were besieged by end-users queuing to buy petrol.
The development is coming days after Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), however, attributed the fuel queue in Abuja and some parts of the country to restrictions on businesses and movement during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
It reassured Nigerians of the robust supply of petrol in the country and advised against panic-buying.
It added that operations have now resumed at the depots and trucks are being dispatched to various parts of the country.