Fuel scarcity looms in Ibadan

There is looming fuel scarcity in Ibadan due to non-availability of the product at the depot.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Thursday expressed palpable worries in a statement issued in Lagos by the Ibadan Chapter of IPMAN Chairman, Alhaji Raheem Tayo.

The Branch Chairman said that the association was worried that the situation had persisted in spite of the intervention of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Tayo said that the Federal Government had made substantial re-investment through the NNPC to ‘resurrect” the Ibadan depot which had been moribund for more than two years.

According to him, the development culminated in the inauguration of the depot by Mr Baru Maikanti, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC on Oct. 4, 2017.

Tayo also said that the commissioning of the depot was backed with massive pumping of petroleum products, mainly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the depot which directly led to increased activity.

“The loading of petroleum product was so well unhindered thus wetting all the nooks and crannies of the depot jurisdiction of operation which eventually led to cessation of fuel scarcity.

“The primary factor that made the depot go under for some years was because of pipeline vandalism.

“Pipeline vandalism seems not to have been well taken care of as its resurgence becomes more daring thereby threatening another total closure of the depot with serious consequences to the supply of petroleum to the depot.

“Loading activities, which was on the high side, progressively reduced on daily basis until July 26, 2018 when loading activities stopped completely at the NNPC Ibadan depot,” he said.

The IPMAN chairman said that agitation by Ibadan depot stakeholders led the NNPC management in Abuja to mandate its security department to meet with stakeholders.

According to him, the meeting with stakeholders and other relevant security agencies in the state, aimed at finding solutions to the continuous damaging of the pipelines, was aborted.

“Now that the vandals have grounded Ibadan depot again because NNPC cannot push products through the pipelines, the public should brace up for another round of unpleasant period of fuel scarcity.

“It is unfortunate that with so many security agencies and bodies, the simple task of maintaining the integrity of the pipeline has become unattainable, making vandalism on the pipelines seem unstoppable,” he said.