The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has assured of steady fuel supply following the pledge by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to return to work.

This was contained in a statement by Dr Levi Ajuonuma, the Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, yesterday, in Abuja.

The statement was issued due to a strike by NARTO on Thursday to press the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) for a raise in its freight rate.

The strike resulted in panic buying and scarcity.

Ajuonuma urged Nigerians to shun panic buying and hoarding of the product as there was enough supply.

“With this development, we want to urge members of the public to shun panic buying and hoarding of petroleum products as there is no fear of scarcity anymore.

“The NNPC has enough products to go round and there is no threat whatsoever to the supply chain to warrant fear, panic buying or hoarding,” he said.

He noted that timely intervention by the Federal Government and all the relevant ministries and parastatals led to the restoration of service by NARTO.

“NARTO will call off its withdrawal of service currently embarked upon forthwith, pending the final resolution of the matter”, he quoted a communiqué as saying.

The communique was issued at the end of the meeting between NARTO and the Ministers of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Labour and Productivity, Mr Emeka Wogu, the NNPC and  PPPRA.

He said that the issue of freight rate increase was referred to a committee made up of PPPRA and NARTO, to work out the technical details required for resolving the matter within one week.

NAN reports that motorists in Abuja and environs have been in long queues at filling stations since the strike began