Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, is grappling with a severe fuel shortage as numerous filling stations shut down due to the exorbitant cost of sourcing petroleum products from third-party marketers.
An investigation reveals that some filling stations, which sell petrol to consumers at inflated prices between N1300 and N1350, are forced to lift products at costs far exceeding the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)’s controlled prices.
Mazi Oliver Okolo, Executive Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Aba branch, disclosed that the NNPC has failed to supply petroleum products to its members in the past three months.
Instead, Okolo revealed, the corporation sells products to select suppliers, who then resell to IPMAN members at extortionate prices.
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He said:
“Our members are forced to lift petrol at high costs and sell to motorists and users at equally high prices.”
He stressed that functional refineries would enable consumers to purchase petrol at affordable prices.
Okolo therefore urged the federal government to revamp the 21 NNPC refineries nationwide to alleviate the suffering of citizens.
Chief Godfrey Chukwunyere, a member of IPMAN’s National Executive, concurred, stating that NNPC sells petrol to mega stations, major marketers, and independent petroleum marketers at varying high rates.
Chukwunyere attributed this to inexperienced personnel handling the corporation’s affairs.
He called for a comprehensive overhaul of the petroleum sector and appealed to the federal government to ensure NNPC sells petroleum products at uniform prices, easing the burden on consumers.
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