The Nigerian government on Tuesday warned against attempts to disrupt the nation’s petroleum supply and distribution chain.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, gave the warning in a statement issued by his senior adviser on media and communication, Horatius Egua.
The statement said the warning came on the heels of renewed efforts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to maintain the 450.92 million litres weekly evacuation of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) to different petrol stations across the country.
While reassuring Nigerians of the federal government‘s determination to ensure adequate supply, Mr Sylva called on security agencies to prevent attempts by “subversive elements” to cause any disruption to fuel supply ahead of the general elections.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari‘s government is sincere in finding permanent solutions to the fuel problems in the country and urged relevant bodies in the oil and gas sector to join hands with the government in ending the problem.
The statement noted that during a tour of selected petrol stations in Abuja last Friday, Mr Sylva expressed the government’s satisfaction with the efforts of the NNPCL in ensuring fuel availability across the country.
It said in the last one month, NNPCL has maintained a total weekly evacuation of 450.92 million litres, a daily average of 64.42 million litres.
While calling for collective support in dealing with the fuel issue, Mr Sylva said the government feels the pains of the ordinary Nigerian occasioned by the lingering fuel queues.
“The problems associated with fuel queues in the country are not a problem that came with Buhari’s government but a fallout of the long years of rot and decadence in the fuel products supply and distribution chain by successive governments.
“The Buhari administration is addressing the fuel problem holistically stressing that this ‘is the first time in so many years that a government is addressing the problems associated with fuel supply and distribution collectively,” he said.
He further explained that the federal government has also embarked on rehabilitation of refineries neglected over the years.
He said the government, through the NNPCL, acquired a 20 per cent equity stake in the Dangote refinery and has embarked on the licensing of modular refineries.
