Many filling stations witnessed long queues as others were shut on Monday, which led to motorists spending long hours in the few outlets that dispensed Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, in some parts of Lagos, Abuja, neighboring states.
This online media platform learned that marketers of PMS were still unsure about moves to halt petrol subsidy, considering the fact that the government had projected in 2021 that it would stop the subsidy regime in February this year.
According to the reports, some members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO had discontinued operations in protest against the low freight rate for petrol which they receive from the government.
The National President, NARTO, Yusuf Othman, told journalists in Abuja on Monday that “our people have parked their trucks and more people are going to park (theirs).”
The National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, also stated that the fear over subsidy withdrawal had been in the minds of both private depot owners and some retailers, leading to product shortage at filling stations.
“I’ve explained to you that DPOs are studying the situation around subsidy since the government has been making various statements on this matter and this has its way of affecting the market,” he told our correspondent.
Queues for petrol in filling stations have been appearing and disappearing in Abuja and neighboring states in the past few weeks, as marketers confirmed that aside from panic buying by motorists, there have been disruptions in PMS supply.
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