Petrol scarcity reaches Lagos
Despite assurances by the NNPC Limited over the scarcity of the premium motor spirit (PMS) also called, petrol, which prompted long queues at petrol stations in Abuja, penultimate week, it appears the situation has now spread to Lagos, Monday.
Parts of Lagos, especially in Alimosho and Ikeja local government areas on the Mainland, as well as, some on the Island, experienced long queues in front of petrol stations prompting fears of another round of petrol scarcity.
Major roads like the Iba-Isheri-Iyana Ipaja Roads in Alimosho council area were characterized by long queues of vehicles waiting to buy the product from petrol stations selling the product along the road.
While some petrol stations were either shut over lack of the product, the ones selling had long queues, a situation which was also experienced in parts of Ikeja, on the Lagos Mainland.
On the Island area of the state, as at Monday, various petrol stations in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki, weekend, had already run out of the product forcing the few with the product to be jam-packed with vehicles waiting to buy.
The long queues at the petrol stations which caused traffic in those locations continued till Monday.
It would be recalled that the NNPC Limited had, penultimate week, assured the general public that the company has ‘sufficient stock to meet the needs of Nigerians.’
The assurance follows reports of panic buying among Nigerians on the back of scarcity which hit the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.
Similarly, reports emerged Tuesday of depot owners increasing price of the premium motor spirit (PMS) prices to nearly N160.
However, the NNPC Ltd in a statement issued by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad, penultimte Wednesday, advised against panic buying.
“NNPC Ltd wishes to assure the public that the Company has sufficient PMS stock to meet the needs of Nigerians.
“The public is therefore, advised not to engage in panic buying of petrol & to ignore all rumours that may suggest otherwise.
“In line with the existing laws of the land, NNPC Ltd is deeply committed to ensuring energy security for the country,” the company said.
A scarcity of the product hit Abuja, late last month, as residents, complained that there was no petrol in almost all the filling stations in the capital city, a situation they further lamented has been going on for days now.
