Major oil marketers said it has reached an agreement with the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to temporarily suspend the lifting of petroleum product.
Executive Secretary of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Femi Olawore , who disclosed this yesterday when he updated the media on the ongoing impasse with the government over outstanding fuel subsidy said, affected parties have temporarily suspended the action.
Olawore said apart from the decision of marketers to stop importation over the delayed payment, the situation was further aggravated by NARTO’s refusal to lift fuel from depots.
According to him, the marketers are owing the transport association about N20billion, and their inability to offset the debt prompted them to suspend lifting of products.
On the current debt status, Olawore said that out of N354billion owed the marketers by government, only N154billion has so far been redeemed, leaving a whooping balance of N200 billion.
He said, the marketers are currently in a dilemma as to whether the action should be suspended until the entire money is paid.
The secretary explained that with the understanding between the NARTO and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) that a grace of two weeks be allowed to enable government effect the payment of the balance of the money, the action has been suspended.
However, he said that the transporters have threatened to withdraw their service if nothing concrete comes out of a scheduled meeting with the coordinating minister of the economy, Mrs. Okonjo Iweala on Monday, May 4.
“We have scheduled to meet with the coordinating minister of the economy on Monday, but if the meeting fails to address the issue we have tabled, then we will continue with the action,” he warned.
He said so far, some of their members have started receiving payment after they commenced the action, but noted that what the marketers have paid to NARTO is in proportion of what has been received.
Olawore, said the marketers are ready to cooperate with government but except the payment is made in two weeks, they will return to status quo.
Indication that Nigerians would be thrown into another round of fuel scarcity has been rife for two days now as dispensers of the product (Petrol station) have been out of stock
Stations visited had a long queue or non-availability of the petroleum products.
A drive around the twin cities of Effurun and Warri by our correspondent confirmed the Agency reports from other states on the situation.
It was gathered that the out of stock trade of the product in most petrol stations as at press time is attributed to the non availability of the product at various NNPC depots.
As the fuel scarcity scenario outplays, frantic effort made by the reporter to reach top officials of the WRPC, PPMS, IPMAN, PTD and NUPENG to comment on the situation as at the time of filing this report proved abortive.
Meanwhile, long queues which had hitherto been a thing of the past in all petrol stations in Warri Effurun have resurfaced thereby subjecting motorists and users of the product to panic purchase.
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