Fuel Scarcity: DSS To Quizz Oil Marketers Over Hoarding

The Department Of State Services (DSS) said will raid all fuel stations and quizz any marketer hoarding petrol, which has led to the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

This was the outcome of a meeting involving the DSS, NNPC Limited, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and other major stakeholders in the oil industry.

The DSS said the meeting was called to address the challenges of fuel scarcity, which was beginning to cause national security threat and could escalate into problems if not properly handled.

Speaking after the meeting, which held at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Thursday night, the spokesperson of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, said the Service was ready to take action against any filling station or marketer or any stakeholder, who reneged on the agreement reached at the meeting – disappearance of fuel queue in the next 48 hours.

The DSS said the meeting was called because the Service can not sit back and watch the current scarcity of fuel despite the obvious availability of the product, which could lead to economic sabotage and threat to the nation.

Dr. Afunanya said part of the resolutions reached at the end of the meeting included the agreement that the NNPC will provide fuel at normal and affordable official rate to all marketers.

The meeting also resolved that marketers who operate in the depot will work on a 24-hour basis to ensure that fuel products supply are adequate.

The meeting also resolved that all challenges of fuel scarcity and queues in the country must be cleared within 24 to 48 hours.

The DSS said as part of the agreement, it will ensure protection and provision of security to all marketers and their products across the country while moving oil products.

The meeting also resolved that there was sufficient fuel as the NNPC said they have about 1.9 billion litres of fuel at the depot currently.