Lokpobiri Visits Fuel Stations, Assures Nigerians of Petrol Availability
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
The Minister of State Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, yesterday promised availability of petroleum products in the country just as he visited the fuel stations in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, to monitor the distribution.
Lokpobiri arrived at the Bayelsa State International Airport, Amassoma, at about 11.30 a.m., accompanied by officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In all the fuel stations, he visited, the minister requested the pump attendants to measure the actual volume being sold to Nigerians to test the integrity of their pumps.
Speaking in an interview, Lokpobiri said the purpose of his visit to the fuel stations in the state was to ascertain the availability of products and to ensure Nigerians are not being cheated.
He expressed satisfaction with the availability of petroleum products in line with the deregulation policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to him, since the assumption of office by President Tinubu, Nigerians are no longer experiencing fuel scarcity due to price hikes.
“This is the second time running under this administration that petroleum products are available during the festive season. If you recall during the festive season when there is high demand, there is product scarcity leading to price hikes. But last year there was product availability and this year there is product availability.
‘’Now that the oil sector is fully deregulated under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, what the government is concerned about is product availability, and then the product must be dispensed to customers in the right volume.”
“What we have seen in the past is that someone is telling you he is selling 100 litres, when in actual fact you are being sold 50 litres. That is why without any notice, when I landed, without even getting to my house, I had to visit one station to the other to ensure that Nigerians were not being cheated.”
“The essence of the deregulation can be seen in the price disparity. As government what we need to do is to ensure that the products are available for the benefit of Nigerians.’’
On the issue of dispensing the right volume for the full value of payments made by customers, Lokpobiri demanded that two pumps in two of the filling stations adjust their pumps to dispense the right volume.
