The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has engaged officers from the Department of State Services (DSS) and Economic and the Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to help stop hoarding and diversion of petroleum products in the corporation’s efforts to restore normalcy to the fuel supply and distribution system in the country.
Simultaneously, the oil giant also apologised to commuters, motorists and the general public for the hardship faced in accessing petrol across the country and urged Nigerians to desist from panic buying because there is sufficient petroleum products to satisfy local consumption.
Mr Ohi Alegbe, NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, said in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
The statement said that the arrangement was is to assist in the monitoring of nationwide fuel truck-out to retail outlets and stop hoarding by unscrupulous marketers.
It said the Group Executive Director (Commercial and Investment) of NNPC, Dr Babatunde Adeniran, during a visit to NNPC depot in Suleja, warned the marketers against sharp practices.
“Any marketer found wanting in the sale of petroleum products, including the NNPC’s retail outlets would be sanctioned appropriately.
“There will be no sacred cows as the corporation is working round-the-clock by supplying sufficient petroleum products to marketers to ensure that Nigerians enjoyed the Yuletide season without pain.
“We must all make sure that petroleum products get across to Nigerians at the regulated price, especially as the Yuletide season approaches.
“We have enough products and we want to plead with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) not to get involved in the diversion of petroleum products in order to avoid causing untold hardship to motorists.”
Mrs Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), warned that defaulters would be sanctioned.
“The DSS and EFCC will arrest any marketer involved in sabotaging government’s effort in making petrol available to Nigerians,” the statement said.
“We have invited the EFCC and DSS to join us in this campaign of monitoring the movement of petroleum products and they have our mandate to sanction any errant marketer; enough is enough.”
The statement urged Nigerians to desist from panic buying, adding that there is sufficient petroleum products to satisfy local consumption.
-NAN