Residents of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), have been left stranded and grappling with fuel shortages following the sudden closure of several retail outlets owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) within the capital city.
It was gathered that the stations closed for some days, were allegedly ordered by the management of the national oil firm and will continue till next week.
The closures, attributed to logistical challenges, have led to long queues at the remaining independent fuel stations, who now sell their products at higher prices, thereby leaving many motorists and commuters facing hours of delays.
The fuel purchase process has pushed people to independent marketers because official stations raised their prices. Meanwhile, sources predict that fuel scarcity will become less widespread by the following week.
Stations in Lugbe and Airport Road, Zone 3, Life Camp, and Kubwa all reported having no fresh deliveries which led to complete fuel sales suspension.
According to the NNPCL Life Camp outlet manager, supply disruptions stem from internal operational adjustments while he predicted that distribution would improve next week.
Some of the FCT residents have expressed displeasure about the situation, lamenting on why they have to purchase fuel from independent sellers who charge excessive prices to their customers. The local residents, who rely on NNPCL’s assurance about situation resolution, still fear more extended supply problems will happen.
Efforts to obtain a response from NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, but failed to get any response. An employee of the company stated that logistical problems led to the shortage alongside sufficient depot inventory.
Recall that the original fuel price at NNPCL locations stands at N965 per litre but fuel shortages have driven people to anticipate increased costs.
