Tayo Aboyeji, the South-West Chairman of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), on Monday confirmed that massive loading of petrol was ongoing at different depots in Lagos.
Aboyeji made the confirmation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, assuring Nigerians that the current scarcity of fuel would end in the next two days.
According to the chairman: “I am glad to tell you that the product is now available and today, being Christmas holiday, tanker drivers are waiting to collect the product.
“Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is now making use of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) tank farms to distribute petrol.
“This is to accelerate the product to different locations. As I am talking to you, our members are taking the product out of depots to filling stations across the country.
“To make it quicker, NNPC is also using Folawiyo depot, Aiteo and NIPCO depots and I can tell you that the rate at which loading is taking place now, the crisis will soon be over,” he said.
Atoyebi denied allegation of diversion of the product by his members, adding that such had not been reported to him.
“To the best of my knowledge no such cases have been reported to the union.
“It is not easy to divert the product because petroleum tankers loaded were being monitored to their destinations,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to desist from panic buying, adding that the product was now available.
“Nigerians should not result to panic buying now; petrol is available in depots unlike few days ago when the product was not available.
“The product will be in all filling stations in few day’s time, so buy only what you will use and stop hiding petrol in your house, it is dangerous,” he said.
NAN reports that there is improved supply of petrol to filling stations in Lagos in spite of the public holiday.
NAN also reports that motorists were on queue in most of the filling stations that were selling petrol.
The Presidency had earlier disclosed that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will be visiting fuel depots in Lagos on Monday to monitor the loading of trucks and to ensure steady supply of petrol to designated filling stations.
“This morning the Vice-President is visiting fuel depots in Lagos to monitor the loading of trucks, and to ensure distribution is going on without a hitch.’’
