The House of Representatives has given the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL) a one-week ultimatum to end the lingering scarcity of fuel across the country.
The lingering fuel scarcity has led to high prices of petroleum products across the country.
Following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi from Niger State, the house ruled that NNPC should swiftly end fuel scarcity.
The house also resolved that the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) should collaborate with the Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Service (DSS) to ensure that fuel was sold at the regulated price and in all retail outlets.
While presenting his motion, the lawmaker noted that in the last few months, Nigerians have been subjected to untold hardships caused by the lingering petrol scarcity; affecting economic activities and making the already trying times in the country more difficult.
He said that the beneficiaries of the ugly situation are smiling at the bank for selling above the NNPC-regulated price.
Investors King gathered that some filing stations especially in cities such as Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan and Kaduna are selling at N350 per litre while some are selling far above that. The scarcity has also led to the booming of black marketers who sell as high as N450 to N500 per litre.
“Most of those fueling stations have resulted in selling fuel at over N300 per litre. It is observed with dismay that those who are gaining from this artificial fuel scarcity appear to be smiling home as a result of this ugly development and this has the potency to provoke innocent Nigerians against the government”.
“Lingering fuel scarcity has compounded the woes of millions of Nigerians struggling to survive as prices of items continue to make a rapid surge. This appears to be a dangerous signal that the government must tackle without further delay to restore normalcy” the lawmaker said.
