NNPC is to blame for current fuel scarcity - Senate

- The Senate committee on petroleum downstream says there is a short supply of petroleum products at NNPC depots

- Chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Marafa, accuses filling stations owners of being involved in malpractices

- Soldiers arrest 6 suspects for alleged diversion, sale of petrol in Kaduna

The Senate committee on petroleum downstream has blamed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the current fuel scarcity across the country.

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Chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Marafa, made the statement on Monday, January 1, in Gusau, Zamfara state during an assessment of fuel situation in the country, Daily Trust reports.

He said there was a short supply of petroleum products at NNPC depots visited.

“I have directed all members of this committee to go back to their constituencies to investigate the problem at the grassroots so that we take measures to address the scarcity.

“We visited NNPC zonal depot Gusau to find out the quantity of fuel supply to the depot and we noticed short supply of the commodity.

“We are going to present our findings to the senate. It is very disturbing to see the suffering faced by people due to fuel scarcity in the country.

“We questioned the NNPC over this issue because the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru said they had doubled the quantity of daily supply of the product, but it is not available to the public.

“Another unfortunate thing is the attitude of our filling stations owners who sell this commodity to the public; they are involved in one or two malpractices.

”In fact out of the filling stations we visited, only two have complied with the government directives in this regard,” he said.

Marafa, who was accompanied by a member of the committee, Senator Abdullahi Danbaba said the inspection was part of the assignment given to the committee by Senate president Bukola Saraki.

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He commended the state Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) field office in ensuring compliance at the filling stations.

Meanwhile, soldiers have arrested six persons for alleged diversion and sale of petrol using an NNPC tanker in Zonkwa, Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state.

The commander of operation safe haven in the area, Colonel Idong Ekpeyong, told newsmen in Kafanchan that the suspects were arrested when the tanker with registration number: MDG 86 XA was discharging the product at Lesar Filling Station along Kachia road in Zonkwa.

Ekpeyong said the product with Bill number: 7000056996 was detailed from Lagos to Sambo Oil Filling Station, Deidei, in the Federal Capital Territory, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

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Source: Naija.ng