By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The management of NNPC limited say they have fixed N148 per litre as the price for lifting petrol at depots and agreed to supply outstanding stock to independent oil marketers to end product shortage.
Our Correspondent reports that this positive development, according to motorists, is coming as the independent marketers said they had been lifting the product from private depots at about N200 per litre.
This, they claimed, made it difficult for them to meet the Department of State Services, DSS,’ 48-hour directive last week.
According to them, the situation also led to their inability to sell petrol at the N170 per litre like their major marketers’ counterparts and NNPCL.
Our Correspondent from reliable sources that a meeting was held between NNPCL, marketers and all the stakeholders, where the issues were resolved.
Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Mr. Mike Osatuyi, who confirmed the development, said: “Our members have now been allowed to lift petrol at N148 per litre.
“This means that we can now reduce our pump prices. We are committed to working with other parties to tackle the shortage across the country, as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, cost of fuel remained high in Lokoja kogi State, Las at Wednesday when our visited many of the filling stations in the area with selling as high as N170 per litre and above the official pump price of N179 per litre.
Some motorists described the activities of most filling stations as “becoming unbecoming”, adding they had cashed on the scarcity of the product to fix higher prices unckecked.
The Reporters recalls that on Tuesday that the House of Representatives called on NNPCL to end the lingering scarcity of petroleum products in the next week, to ease the suffering of the people.
One of the ways this can be done, the House suggested is for Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, to synergise with the Nigeria Police Force and DSS to ensure that fuel is sold at the regulated price as well as all retail outlets.
