The Federal government has sympathised with Nigerians over the hardship occasioned by scarcity of Ppetrol and called for patience, while it finds a lasting solution to the problem.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, made the appeal on Sunday through a statement by his Senior Adviser (Media & Communications), Horatius Egua.
“In the last weeks, Nigerians have grappled with fuel scarcity not because of the absence of supply of products but due to inspection failure, which allowed adulterated products into the country.
“This is regrettable, and the Federal Government sympathises with the citizenry over the unforeseen hardship, occasioned by the inevitable scarcity.
“Let me once again appeal to Nigerians to be patient with government in finding lasting solutions to the crisis,” Sylva said.
Fuel scarcity
He appreciated the NNPC for showing concern on the plight of Nigerians by offering an apology.
“This is unprecedented and showed that we on the government side are not afraid to take responsibility,” he added.
The minister also said the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has been out on the streets and fuel stations to ensure that the situation normalizes quickly.
According to him, “we are beginning to see the fruits of their efforts.
“It is not a time to trade blames as is customary in Nigeria. It is, therefore, not a time to query anyone but a time to come together to salvage the plight of the average Nigerian.
“After the storm settles, there will be time enough to investigate and get to the bottom, so that this does not repeat itself.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s charge to all parties and agencies concerned is to work together to ensure that normalcy returns quickly.
“The Nigerian people deserve the best and the government is determined to set the country on the right path of petroleum products availability and sustainability,” Sylva said.
This, he said, was demonstrated in the award of the contracts for the rehabilitation of all our refineries and the acquisition of stake in the Dangote Refinery.
– NAN