TUC Threatens Mass Action Over Fuel Scarcity; Fuel Scarcity Spreads Across States

President of the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Bala Kaigama

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday threatened to embark on mass protests if the lingering fuel scarcity is not checked by the federal government.

Daily Trust report continues:

President of the Congress, Comrade Bala Kaigama and the Acting Secretary-General, Simeso Amachree, said in a statement that the TUC may be compelled to take the action in view of the ongoing dislocation of fuel supplies in the country.

The congress accused the government of abandoning Nigerians at the mercy of private depot owners who sell fuel above the ex-depot price of ₦76:50k per litre.

“We may embark on mass protests if the scarcity goes on.  It is instructive to note that the price modulation policy of the federal government is not working. 

“For us it is simply deregulation. And deregulation gives the private sector an edge in price determination. And the private sector is all about profit making, which is exactly what we are experiencing now. 

“They hoard and sell selectively to consumers. The hardship Nigerians are going through now is very serious. Often we have made our positions known on this very issue. 

“We have asked government to resolve crisis in the petroleum sector to stop the importation of refined petroleum products and possibly build more functional refineries”, the statement said.

Fuel Scarcity Spreads Across States

Daily Trust reports that the long fuel queues which appeared over the weekend at some major cities across the country have grown worse.

This is just as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday received one cargo of petrol consisting 45 million litres to wet the entire country. 

The long queues of vehicles seen at the Conoil and Total filling stations opposite the NNPC headquarters in Abuja previous days, have continued to stretch causing obstruction to traffic along the road.

Similar scenes were observed yesterday at NIPCO, Conoil, Oando and other fuel stations that dispensed the product within Utako and the entire Abuja city centre.

Some filling stations were shut with their managers claiming they had run out of stock. This forced motorists to go to nearby locations including Mararaba, Masaka and Zuba where the product is available but sold above ₦86.50.

Black marketers in the main city have cashed-in on the scarcity to sell the commodity between ₦200 and ₦250 per litre to willing buyers.

Motorists complained that the prevailing scarcity is biting hard on them and their businesses. 

While some fuel importers have complained that the scarcity of the dollar has prevented them from placing import orders, others blame the NNPC for their inability to load fuel at NNPC depot in the Southwest because the corporation has not brought in enough fuel.

However, the NNPC on Monday said it has stepped up collaboration with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) which has led to the increase in fuel truck-out to filling stations across the country.

 In the Lagos area, the corporation said fuel truck-out has been increased from the regular 245 to 295 trucks per day (9.7 million) while truck-out to fuel stations in Abuja from Suleja depot has been stepped up to 210 trucks per day (6.9 million litres) from the regular supply of 160 trucks per day.