•We’ve commercial stocks—Depot Owner

•We’re loading fuel —Marketer

By Udeme Akpan, James Ogunnaike & Mariam Eko

MOTORISTS and other users of petrol panicked, yesterday, and expressed fears that the delay of marketers to embark on importation could culminate in a shortage.

The motorists, who spoke to Vanguard in different interviews, said some marketers did not have the product to sell in Lagos and environs, even though many, including the NNPC Limited, were seen selling at their filling stations.

We are loading fuel— Marketer

A visit to Ijegun and Satellite depots in Lagos, yesterday, confirmed that marketers were still lifting the product at between N568 and N570 per litre.

In an interview with Vanguard, a depot owner, who pleaded anonymity, said: “We have a large quantity of fuel and will continue to sell it to marketers. For now, there is no threat. We cannot see a shortage happening at this time.”

Similarly, in another interview, an oil marketer, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The expectation was that we marketers would start to import a few days after deregulation. But we have not been able to import because of foreign exchange, market uncertainty, and other issues.

“This does not mean that there is currently a shortage because we are still lifting from the depots. Everyone might not have the product at the same time, but there is obviously nothing to worry about immediately.”

Consumers shift to LPG; others-OGSPAN

The National President, Oil and Gas Services Providers Association of Nigeria, Mazi Colman Obasi, said: “Many individuals, households, and businesses have parked their automobiles. The increased adoption or conversion to liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, and compressed natural gas, CNG, has also reduced much pressure on petrol.”

Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Mosinmi depot has threatened to drag the NNPC Limited to court over an alleged delay in supplying fuel to its members.

Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, IPMAN Mosinmi Depot Chairman, Femi Adelaja, said: “Each IPMAN member had paid the initial sum of N7,740,000 for the usual supply of a 45, 000 litre truck. But after the removal of the subsidy in June 2023, NNPC increased the money to N25 million per truck, and we were asked to balance up. We had complied, and each member paid N25million, which we all paid through the Lagos D.P.O.”