Fuel scarcity looms as violence stalls depot operations

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has warned about a looming petroleum scarcity in the country owing to attacks of petroleum tankers by hoodlums and the stalling of operations at petroleum depots across the country by #EndSARS protesters.

IPMAN Chairman in Rivers State, Dr Joseph Obele, stated this on a programme on Rhythm 93.7fm monitored by The PUNCH in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Obele noted that about 10 petroleum tankers had been attacked and destroyed nationwide by the protesters, although lives were not lost.

He added that if the situation doesn’t improve before stocked petroleum products ran out in filling stations, scarcity would be inevitable.

The state chairman said, “About 10 of our trucks have been attacked nationwide by protesting youths, although there have not been casualties.

“Supply and distribution of petroleum products haven’t really been smooth being that 90 per cent of our supply came from Lagos and there has been a skeletal supply schedule in Lagos for the past one week.

“Thursday’s case was worse, all the depots in Nigeria were shut down, we don’t produce these products, we buy from depots and tank farms and if these depots do not give us products, we fear that when we run out of stock, petroleum scarcity will happen.”

Obele, however, ruled out the possibility of the association embarking on strike, adding that such an action would only further worsen the suffering of Nigerians at these trying times.