The Department of State Service (DSS) through its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, has issued the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd and oil marketers a 48 hours ultimatum to resolve the menace of fuel scarcity hitting the nation, after a closed-door meeting on 8th December 2022 between the agency and stakeholders in the petroleum industry in Abuja. Afunanya said the secret police would commence operations across the country if the queue persists at various filling stations after the deadline. He said the petrol scarcity affects the country’s security.
He said the NNPC agreed that there is enough product that will serve Nigerians during and after the Yuletide season.
Fuel queues had resurfaced in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country with filling stations selling the products for between N250 and N275 per litre.
While the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said the scarcity was caused by the shortage of petrol at NNPC depots, the state-owned oil firm had said ongoing road projects in Lagos affected distribution.
Afunanya said, “We were clear and direct in telling the stakeholders in the fuel distribution system that enough is enough and that whatever is causing the scarcity of petroleum products in the country must be resolved immediately as Nigerians have the right to see and buy fuel at the official price at all times.
“We also made it clear to them that the government will no longer tolerate any form of scarcity since the NNPC and all the parties involved agree that there is sufficient fuel in the depots across Nigeria and that those who may want to question our involvement in the issue should note that it touches on our core mandate of national security and wellbeing of Nigerians.
“We sounded a strong warning to all those concerned that it is no longer going to be business as usual in the petroleum supply system and that anyone who is obstructing the distribution of fuel will be made to face the full weight of the law and that such elements would be treated as enemies of Nigeria.
“That going forward the DSS is to carry out operations across the country to deal decisively with those obstructing the distribution of petroleum products to Nigerians at the approved official rate.
“That it is our core mandate to detect and prevent threats to national security and that we are also charged with the responsibility of investigating national crimes and economic sabotage and that if that is established, we would go all out to fish out those involved and dealt with in accordance with the laws of Nigeria.
“One of the major takeaways from the meeting was that NNPChas more than 1.9 billion litres in stock which is enough to last through the yuletide and beyond, a figure duly confirmed by all the stakeholders in the supply chain,” Afunanya said.
