December 24, 2017: THE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has declared that it was not responsible for the acute fuel scarcity across the Nigeria and, therefore, should not be blamed for it.
PENGASSAN said the main reason for the scarcity was because the marketers wanted the petrol pump price to be increased; “and are creating artificial scarcity to force the price increase in their favour; while the government was resisting their demand.”
The National Public Relations Officer of PENGASSAN, Comrade Fortune Obi, in a message exchanged with Sunday Tribune, wondered why Nigerians were blaming the union for the scarcity, adding that some other factors, apart from the the urge for price increase, were also responsible.
Among these factors, Comrade Obi, cited the rivalry between IPMAN, MOMAN & DAPPMA over fuel allocation, the leadership controversies in IPMAN, hoarding by fuel stations owners and panic buying by Nigerians.
Why the scarcity? The PENGASSAN PRO said: “The real reasons was not examined but the scarcity is being blamed on wrong reasons. There is scarcity because marketers want petrol price to be increased. They have been arguing that the margin is not profitable and therefore seek increment, which the govt has been resisting and pegging at N145 per litre.
“Secondly, the rivalry between IPMAN, MOMAN & DAPPMA over fuel allocation is a cause. The leadership controversies in IPMAN also contributes to scarcity. Hoarding by fuel stations owners and panic buying by Nigerians is equally a problem for the scarcity.”
Obi added: “I wonder why people are blaming PENGASSAN for the current fuel scarcity in the country. The scarcity started two weeks before PENGASSAN issued a 7-day strike ultimatum notice on December 7. Then the problem of the government and IPMAN was at the front burner, when IPMAN threatened showdown with the government over irregular supply of petroleum products. Despite resolving the problem, the scarcity persists.
“Then PENGASSAN issued a strike notice, which did not even last for 14 hours before it was arrested and called off. Government and NNPC assured that there is enough products to go round the Yuletide season.”
On the possible solution to the fuel crisis, he advised that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and the government agencies should go out to enforce sales of products from fuel stations that were hoarding the product.
He stated that virtually all filling stations have petrol but they are not ready to sell so as to exploit the people. – Tribune