Our Depots Are Empty – Marketers Blame NNPC For Fuel Scarcity

– Oil marketers deny plans to force government to increase pump price of petrol.

– They revealed readiness to commence 24-hour loading and trucking as soon as supply is received by its members.

NNPC is responsible for current fuel scarcity – Marketers

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) has refuted claims in certain quarters that it is creating artificial scarcity of petroleum products in order to force government to increase pump price of petrol.

The body also claimed oil tanks belonging to its members nationwide were already empty but its members were ready to distribute the product as soon as they receive supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

A statement released yesterday in Abuja by the Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Olufemi Adewole, insisted that NNPC lacked the capacity to distribute fuel efficiently as a sole importer.

According to him, marketers own 80 per cent of the functional receptive facilities and retail outlets in the country.

“Hoarding of fuel is regarded as economic sabotage, and we assure Nigerians that our members are not involved in such illicit acts,” he stated.

“We understand the NNPC meets the fuel supply demand largely through the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) framework. However, due to the price challenges on the DSDP platform, some participants in the scheme failed to meet their supply quota of refined petroleum product, especially PMS, to the NNPC. This is the main reason for the scarcity.

“Our members’ depots are presently empty. However, if PPMC/NNPC can provide us with PMS, we’re ready to do 24-hour loading and trucking to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians until these fuel queues are totally eliminated.