…we had shortage of supply – Kwara IPMAN
*DPR warns marketers over hoarding
By Matthew Denis
Fuel scarcity seems to have returned to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital as motorists were observed queuing at some filling stations, yesterday.
Some of the petrol stations noticed with queues when our reporter visited were Golden Mother and Mobile filling station at Gaa Akanbi and Atinuke filling station, Osere area.
Meawhile, Bovas filling station, Offa Garage which was noticed dispensing fuel at Offa Garage had it gates locked while a number of filling stations along Ajase-Ipo road were under lock.
Though the filling station visited was selling at the normal price of N145 per litre as the customers on queue had no idea of the cause of the sudden scarcity while the station owners were unwilling to talk on the development.
One of the customers waiting to get the commodity who identified himself simply as Wasiu, said, “I don’t know what the cause of the scarcity is, but it is good to notice that they did not increase the fuel price here (Mobil filling station). I have been here for over one hour. I know I will get fuel before I leave here.”
Also, a commercial tricycle rider, Lekan Yusuf, said “Immediately the rumour got to these fuel dealers, they began to close their filling stations. The few ones that opened appeared did not believe the rumour. That is what is causing this scarcity.”
Speaking on the development in a telephone interview last night, the Kwara State Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Olarewaju Okanlawon said, “The PMS’ scarcity in the metropolis was as a result of shortage in supply of the product.
He added that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is aware of the situation and proffering solutions.
However, while speaking with our reporter on the telephone yesterday, the Head of Operations, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Kwara State, Mr. Oyedele Ibitayo explained that the scarcity was caused by hoarding on the part of the marketers.
He said, “The shortage of fuel supply doesn’t warrant the scarcity in the metropolis considering the purchasing power of average Kwara resident. Before today you will agree with me that there is no filling station you will see about four vehicles queuing.
“Some of the marketers are deliberately hoarding fuel by dispensing only one pump. That’s why we came out to enforce compliance by ensuring that the marketers sell the product in all the pumps or we’ll seal their stations.
“We observed that the only filling stations that usually record a little queue are Bovas and NNPC mega stations because of their price (N143 per litre). Even at that, there wasn’t queue at Bovas, Sango area as all the vehicles were inside the compound this afternoon.
“At Total filling station, Sango, they were selling one pump, so we forced them to sell the other four pumps and the queue disappeared. The marketers are intentionally hoarding but because we came out, they discontinued it.”
Ibitayo stressed that about 21 trucks of PMS were received yesterday in Kwara State adding that there was no need for any form of scarcity.
He therefore warned marketers against hoarding and adulteration.
