In a bid to salvage the fuel supply and distribution challenges witnessed in
some parts of the country due to panic buying from motorists, the Group
Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr.
Maikanti Kacalla Baru, Tuesday, cut short his trip to London.
Dr. Baru, who was billed to receive the Forbes Oil & Gas
Man of the Year Award 2017 in the British Capital on Tuesday, flew back home to
attend to what he described as a “matter of urgent national importance.”
Speaking on the development shortly before his departure
back to the country, Baru called on Nigerians to stop panic buying as the
Corporation was doing everything within its reach to address the situation.
“For the umpteenth time, I wish to call on all Nigerians to
stop panic buying. We have said times without number that NNPC has sufficient
products to cater for the needs of all consumers,” Baru stated.
Before leaving for London, the GMD had directed that more truckload
of petroleum products be dispatched to various parts of the country to cushion
the effects of excessive demand caused by panic buying.
Earlier yesterday, NNPC informed Nigerians that there was no
plan whatsoever to increase the prices of petroleum products both at the
ex-depot level and pump price ahead of the forthcoming yuletide.
The NNPC in a release said that the ex-depot petrol price of
N133.38 per litre and the pump price of N143/N145 per litre have not changed
noting that the Corporation has enough stock of fuel to ensure seamless supply
and distribution of products across the country.
While assuring that the Corporation has the full commitment
of all downstream stakeholders including petroleum marketers and industry
unions to cooperate in achieving zero fuel scarcity this season and beyond, the
NNPC enjoined motorists and other users of petroleum products to disregard
trending rumours of an impending fuel price hike as reported in some news
platforms.
The Corporation also noted that its downstream subsidiary
companies namely the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and NNPC
Retail Limited are fully geared up to ensure that motorists enjoy uninterrupted
access to petrol throughout the nation during the yuletide period and beyond.
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