Fakoyejo OlalekanThe Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Abuja-Suleja region, Mohammed Shuaibu, has said the general election is affecting fuel distribution.
Shuaibu said oil marketers are not moving Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel, as they use to pre-election, leading to several retailers shutting down their petrol stations.
He explained that the distribution of fuel has dropped because depots are not loading over the fear of the elections’ outcome.
“As it is now, the depots are not loading and there no receptions. If you watch, so many stations across the country are not open for service. This is due to apprehension caused by the elections,” Shuaibu said in a Punch report on Wednesday.
The oil marketer stated that industry players are waiting for the outcome of the general elections over agitation that has trialled the results collation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Shuaibu said: “People want to wait for the announcement of these results, because of the fear of possible crisis that might affect their stations or trucks.
“However, as it is now, since the depots are not loading as expected, people will want to take advantage of the situation to profiteer.”
It was revealed that some states in the country, including Abija, are not receiving fuel because the major marketers have not been moving PMS out of Lagos as they used to.
“Trucks that move PMS, belonging to major marketers, are not coming into Abuja and many other locations as expected.
“I enquired from them and they said it is because of the elections, and that they are afraid. So they want to see the outcome of the elections,” Shuaibu revealed.
Meanwhile, the President of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, questioned the availability of fuel.
“The question now is, are there even products? Are marketers seeing the products to buy, before talking about dispensing it to consumers?” he stated.
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