NNPC: Nigeria Will Never Witness Petrol Scarcity Again

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that the era of frequent scarcity of petrol in cities across Nigeria is gone and would never be witnessed in the country again.

It also said it does not expect its downstream petroleum subsidiary – the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC)-to incur any form of losses in its operations in the sector.

A statement from the NNPC tuesday specifically quoted the Chief Operating Officer, (COO), Downstream, and alternate Chairman of the PPMC board, Mr. Ikem Obi, to have stated that the country would never return to the era of products scarcity. He made the assurance when NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, inaugurated a new board of directors for the company.

The Group General Manager Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, made the statement containing this available to THISDAY in Abuja.

To this end, Baru, charged the new board of the company to initiate new business strategies that would enable it accomplish the expectation of the corporation from it.

According to the statement, the corporation also assured the public of a hitch-free supply of petroleum products across the country during the upcoming yuletide season.

Baru charged the company to ensure there was a steady supply of petroleum products in the country even after the festive periods were over.

He asked the board to ensure a leaner operating cost that would enable it continuously add value to the NNPC, and noted that the company was not expected to make losses.

“The festive season is fast approaching, a period when almost always, people expect queues to occur. If last year you had a queue-free festive season, we want this year’s to be a season where fuel station attendants will be inviting motorists to their stand for fueling,” Baru said.

Also, the Managing Director of PPMC, Mr. Umar Ajiya, stated that the corporation’s resuscitation of its depots in parts of the country had contributed immensely to the steady supply of products nationwide.

Ajiya, assured Nigerians that the company would be placed on the part of profitability, adding that other petroleum products would equally be made available alongside petrol.