Petrol scarcity may not abate any soon as the ex-depot price has exceeded N165 per litre instead of the official N158.5 per litre at the private depots, The Nation learnt.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), National President, Alhaji Debo Ahmed stated this in an interview.
He claimed his members are neither hoarding nor smuggling petrol to neighbouring countries.
According to him: “Petrol market is not going on well. You know what is happening: we have scarcity.
“Normally private depots are supposed to be selling their products at official rate. But they are not selling at the official rates.
“It depends on the depot. Some of them are selling at N165.
“None of my members is hoarding any fuel. If they hoard it, it is tying down their capital. It is illegal.
“No, they don’t smuggle. We have Customs. Smuggling cannot be done because all the borders are monitored.”
He called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to fast track the importation of the PMS to bridge demand gap.
Ahmed was worried that Nigerians are suffering due to acute shortage of petrol.
