Last week, Lagos residents experienced another round of fuel shortage which led to long queues at the few filling stations that had the product. Filling stations at Ikoyi, Mushin, Ikeja, Ogba and Isolo were mostly affected by the long queues. The scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, made black market operators to sell a litre of the product between N200 and N300, up from its official price of N97, while transporters hiked fares by more than 100 per cent. Prices of goods and services also skyrocketted. Similar incidents were reported in Ogun State, Abuja, Kaduna and Owerri.
According to reports, the development crippled economic activities in Abuja and Kaduna as many filling stations were shut down. The story was the same in Owerri, the Imo State capital. The spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Fidel Pepple, attributed the scarcity of petrol in Lagos area to the closure of the Arepo line that supplies the product to Lagos depots. However, he assured that the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of NNPC, had enough fuel to meet national demand for at least 30 days. It will be recalled that petrol vandals attacked and killed three NNPC engineers carrying out repair work at the ruptured distribution pipeline in Arepo village in Ogun State. Since that heinous incident, motorists in Lagos and Ogun states have witnessed the return of long queues at filling stations.
If the Ogun and Lagos scarcity is due to broken pipeline, what is the cause of the scarcity of the product in Kaduna, Abuja, Owerri and, perhaps, other places in the country? Industry sources claim that the scarcity is further fueled by the refusal of oil marketers to resume importation of fuel due to the N200 billion fuel subsidies owed them since last year under the Petroleum Subsidy Fund (PSF) scheme. Whatever is the cause of the almost nationwide fuel scarcity, let the government do something urgently to address the situation and ensure that there is enough supply of the product nationwide. It is shameful that Nigerians experience frequent fuel shortage. Efforts should be stepped up in ensuring that new refineries are in place so that there can be enough fuel for domestic consumption.
The current reliance on imported fuel for our local use is not tidy at all. That may be partly responsible for the frequent fuel shortage and return of long queues at filling stations. We condemn the heinous killing of the engineers that were detailed to fix the vandalized pipeline at Arepo and urge the NNPC and the security agencies to redouble their effort in securing and repairing the facility. It is quite unfortunate that our oil pipelines are insecure. In other countries that produce crude oil, pipelines are well secured. The problem of oil pipeline vandalization is rare. Government and the relevant security agencies must ensure that our oil pipelines are secure at all times to prevent recurrence of the ugly incident of the killing of oil workers on routine maintenance duties as witnessed at Arepo village.
To reduce pipeline vandalization, we urge oil-prospecting companies to involve communities that the pipes pass through in the task of safeguarding them. If this is done, it will go a long way in stemming the tide of pipe vandalization in the country. Let the NNPC move fast and repair the vandalized system that led to the current fuel scarcity in Lagos and Ogun states. While doing so, it must ensure that adequate security is provided for those undertaking the repairs. Whatever is the cause of the problem should be addressed forthwith so that normal fuel supply can return to the two states to stop the hardship being experienced by motorists in accessing the product.
The vandalized system should not be used as an excuse for imposing fuel scarcity on the people of Lagos and Ogun states. Let the government rise to the occasion and ensure that there is adequate fuel supply to all parts of the country.
The Sun Editorial
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