Following a resurgence of fuel queues in the nation’s capital and the tepid excuses for the scarcity offered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), a civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has told the NNPC that her fundamental mandate was to create permanent solutions to artificial fuel scarcity in Nigeria and not to continue to dish out unsustainable excuses for the abnormal scarcity of the products in a nation that ranks as the 7th largest producer of crude oil Worldwide.

HURIWA recalled that NNPC has blamed the queues for fuel in parts of Abuja on the low load outs at depots which, it said, usually happen during long public holidays. Another contributing factor, NNPC said, could be the increase in fuel purchase which it described as also usual with returning residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from the public holidays.

HURIWA recalled also that NNPC claimed that it had, however, in conjunction with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and their marketing partners, taken necessary measures to ramp up load outs from all depots. That, it said, would return the situation to normal.

HURIWA however expressed its dissatisfied with the explanation made by NNPC because, according to the civil society body, most filling stations in Abuja were shut down following scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as fuel, but the group noted that the NNPC which has continued to export Nigeria’s crude oil and in turn import fuel into Nigeria, instead of finding lasting panacea to the crises, has continues to manufacture untenable excuses for the perennial and intermittent fuel scarcity in the Country because her officials, allegedly, were benefitting from the suffering of Nigerian motorists who go through a lot of huddles to buy petrol.

Lamenting that the sudden fuel scarcity situation caused long queues of vehicles at various filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory, HURIWA said it would also lead to poor productivity by both workers in the public and private sectors of the economy because the bulk of these workers would be engaged in searching for fuel to power their vehicles and those using public commercial buses would now have to cough out higher transportation fares which is built in into their Monthly pay package. HURIWA said the fuel scarcity will impact negatively on the cost of living of Nigerians.

HURIWA recalled the newly unbundled and re-energized NNPC that during the recent inauguration of the Board of Directors, the President, Muhammad Buhari, reminded the Board members that they came on board as a result of the reforms put forward by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which seeks to reposition the Nigerian petroleum industry to a commercially viable and competitive industry in line with global business dynamics and best practices.

HURIWA therefore faulted these rounds of lazy excuses by NNPC whenever fuel becomes scarce, saying that NNPC must be ready and willing to demonstrate her capacity to work out seamless solutions to these man-made artificial scarcity only done to unleash economic adversities on millions of Nigerians who depend on their daily incomes to stay alive.

HURIWA charges the NNPC to wake up from institutional slumber and serve Nigerians competently, in line with the mandates of the new NNPC.

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