No Fuel Scarcity This Yuletide – FG

The Federal Government has assured that there will be no scarcity of Petroleum Products during this yuletide.

The assurance was given by top Federal government officials during a meeting in Abuja with stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.

The meeting, which was held at the Presidential Villa, was chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Abba Kyari.

The group managing director of the NNPC, the Minister of Works and Housing, the Inspector General of Police, and others, after the meeting reeled out all the plans in place to ensure a yuletide with no scarcity of petroleum products.

“We are here today to take stock of our readiness for the festive period, particularly in terms of supplies and distribution of petroleum products across the country, so that this festive period will be enjoyed by Nigerians without any hitch, particularly during the Christmas and New Year.

“We are assuring Nigerians that the NNPC has made arrangement to make adequate supply of petroleum products. If there are any issue, we have come together with other agencies of government to ensure those issues are resolved to ensure Nigerians have a very merry Christmas this year,” NNPC GMD Mr Mele Kyari said.

Also during the meeting, security plans and palliatives by the Ministry of Works and Housing to ensure safe journeys were discussed.

Fashola revealing the palliatives for roads said, “The Ministry of Works and Housing has a supporting role to play here. While construction work is ongoing on some of the routes used for moving cargo, we have met with our contractors and directed them to provide some palliatives to ease the movement of trucks and tankers.

“Some of these routes include Benin-Auchi-Okene; Warri-Sapele-Benin; Ilorin-Jebba Road; and Calabar-Itu Road.

“This is essentially to say we are giving everybody the support we can to ease the problem of moving fuel during the period.”

On the security plans for the season, the IG said adequate personnel would be deployed to beef up security during and after the season.

“December is a festive period, a period when Nigerians in the diaspora will be coming to their homeland with their families. It is expected that every Nigerian is provided with adequate security for his life and property.

“We have increased the labour of security and dedicated some officers to make sure that products are moved freely without any attempt to divert products from where that are supposed to go.”

Other stakeholders present at the meeting were the National Association of Road Transport Owners and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.