The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, Tuesday, cut short his
trip to London, as concerns increased over the sudden fuel queues
nationwide.
Dr. Baru, who was billed to receive the Forbes Oil & Gas Man of
the Year Award 2017 in the British Capital on Tuesday, flew back home
to attend to what he described as a “matter of urgent national importance.”
Speaking on the development shortly before his departure back to
the country, Baru called on Nigerians to stop panic buying as the
corporation was doing everything within its reach to address the
situation.
“For the umpteenth time, I wish to call on all Nigerians to
stop panic buying. We have said times without number that NNPC has
sufficient products to cater for the needs of all consumers,” Baru stated.
Before leaving for London, the GMD had directed that more truckload
of petroleum products be dispatched to various parts of the country to
cushion the effects of excessive demand caused by panic buying.
Earlier yesterday, NNPC informed Nigerians that there was no plan
whatsoever to increase the prices of petroleum products both at the
ex-depot level and pump price ahead of the forthcoming yuletide.
The NNPC in a release said that the ex-depot petrol price of
N133.38 per litre and the pump price of N143/N145 per litre have not
changed, noting that the Corporation has enough stock of fuel to ensure
seamless supply and distribution of products across the country.
While assuring that the Corporation has the full commitment of all
downstream stakeholders including petroleum marketers and industry
unions to cooperate in achieving zero fuel scarcity this season and
beyond, the NNPC enjoined motorists and other users of petroleum
products to disregard trending rumours of an impending fuel price hike
as reported in some news platforms.
The Corporation also noted that its downstream subsidiary companies
namely the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and NNPC Retail
Limited are fully geared up to ensure that motorists enjoy uninterrupted
access to petrol throughout the nation during the yuletide period and
beyond.
-NAN