NNPC assures of availability of petroleum products at Easter

… as NNPC retail stations in full compliance with PPPRA price template

 UGO AMADI

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured Nigerians of availability of sufficient petroleum products to guarantee hitch-free celebration of Easter.

The NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, gave this assurance in a press release in Abuja.

Dr. Obateru quoted the Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Musa Lawan, as saying that although there are restriction of movement orders in parts of the country, PPMC has maintained steady supply of petroleum products across the country, adding that the Company has enough products in its marine and land depots that could last another two months.

“I want to assure Nigerians that the PPMC has enough petroleum products to go round as they prepare to celebrate Easter. We have up to 2.53billion litres both in marine and in our inland depots. There is enough petroleum products in stock, and as we speak, some vessels laden with petroleum products are en route to the country,” Lawan informed.

He revealed that the PPMC would soon automate its processes, maintaining that the deployment of the application would reduce face-to-face interactions with marketers and promote transparency of all its operations.

He commended the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum (ADTOP), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), operations staff at the depots and other stakeholders for ensuring the free flow of petroleum products to every nook and cranny of the country in spite of the restriction of movement in some states of the Federation.

He also urged Nigerians to avoid panic buying or stock-piling of petroleum products because of the associated danger and risks.

Meanwhile The NNPC Retail Ltd., one of the downstream subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has clarified that all its filling stations across Nigeria were selling premium motor spirit (petrol) within the official price band announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) for the month of April.

The Managing Director of NNPC Retail Ltd., Sir Billy Okoye, noted that all of the company’s over 600 hundred retail outlets adjusted to the new price immediately the pricing regulatory agency came up with the new price band of between ₦123.50 and ₦125.

The NNPC Retail boss explained that the company was the first in the country to comply with the PPPRA price advisory issued on 19th March, 2020, by adjusting its pumps to ₦125 per litre from the old price of ₦145 per litre.

“Last week, the PPPRA announced the new pump price range of ₦123.50 to ₦125 for the month of April 2020. What this means is that all stations in Nigeria cannot sell below ₦123.50 and cannot sell above ₦125 per litre for the month of April 2020. NNPC Retail Ltd. is fully complying with the PPPRA directive as we are neither selling below ₦123.50 nor selling above ₦125 per litre in all NNPC Retail’s stations nationwide,” Sir Okoye affirmed.

He said NNPC Retail Ltd prides itself as the company with the best in terms of price, products quality and quantity (meter integrity), stressing that the company and its stations, being part of the NNPC, were owned by Nigerians and so would always strive to protect the interest of Nigerians.

He disclosed that the company was planning to extend its services to neighbouring West African countries, noting that having introduced its high quality lubricants into the market recently, its goal is to consolidate on that as a state-owned company for the economic benefit of Nigerians.

Sir Okoye called on members of the public to always use any of the company’s feedback mechanisms well displayed at all its retail outlets to report any sharp practice, adding that the management would not fail to sanction erring dealers.

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