Petrol queues subside as more stations resume operations

Petrol queues in Abuja and adjoining Nasarawa and Niger decreased on Thursday as more retail outlets distributed the commodity to motorists.

The queues for petrol had hauled on in Abuja and environs since a week ago, an incident that led to over 100 per cent increase in transport fares.

The marketers of oil had ascribed petrol scarcity in the areas that were affected to the supposed moves by government to increase the price of the product.

They had further declared that the new e-payment policy of the Pipelines Product Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was hindering the smooth flow of the purchase of the commodity.

These challenges, as indicated by oil marketers, had caused the scarcity observed in Abuja and some northern states.

In any case, on Thursday, Top Naija ascertained that the long queues had begun vanishing in several areas after more retail outlets resumed operations.

A number of the outlets had been closed since a week ago, though others opened for some time and closed shop afterwards.

Filling station employees and operatives in the downstream sector had indicated that the panic by dealers who shut their outlets was that the government could hike the price of the petrol.

However, this never occurred, rather the NNPC affirmed lately that it would not and was not thinking of increasing the price of petrol in the month of March.

The National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ukadike Chinedu, said, “Filling station owners were being cautious, but the good thing is that NNPC has cleared the air on the pricing matter.”

It was gathered that more filling stations in Karu, Nasarawa State, and in Zuba, Niger State, opened on Thursday, while several others in Abuja also distributed commodities.