The scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Abuja, leading to long queues at filling stations has been blamed on weather-related disruption in the movement of trucks.
This explanation was provided by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited in a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, on Monday.
He said thunderstorms and other weather-related issues had disrupted ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of Premium Motor Spirits (PMS), between Mother Vessels and Daughter Vessels in Abuja.
Soneye said the weather affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs, and the transportation of products to filling stations, causing interruptions in supply logistics at the stations.
“The NNPC Ltd also states that due to flammability of petroleum products and in compliance with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) regulations, it was impossible to load petrol during rainstorms and lightning,” the statement read.
He further noted that the scarcity was also exacerbated by the flooding of truck routes which constrained movement of PMS from the coastal corridors to the city but assured that the NNPC Is working alongside stakeholders to resolve the logistics challenges and restore seamless supply of petrol to affected areas.
He therefore urged motorists to avoid panic buying as well as hoarding as there is sufficient supply of petrol for each station.
“Already, loading has commenced in areas where these challenges have subsided, and we are hoping the situation will continue to improve in the coming days and full normalcy would be restored,” he added.
