Fuel scarcity has hit several states across Nigeria, including Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Niger, and others, leading to long queues at fuel stations and a hike in prices.

Naija News understands that the situation has been exacerbated by the dryness of many depots, with black marketers taking advantage of the scarcity to sell fuel at exorbitant prices.

According to reports, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) attributed the tightness in fuel supply and distribution to a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels.

“The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that the tightness in fuel supply and distribution witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT is as a result of a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels,” the NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said.

The company added that it was “working round the clock with all stakeholders to resolve the situation and restore normalcy in the operations.”

However, despite the assurance by the NNPC that the situation would be resolved, the scarcity has worsened, with many fuel stations running dry.

According to The PUNCH, there was no loading of trucks in the Apapa depots as of Sunday.

A depot operator, who did not want his name in print, stated that there was no fuel in almost all the depots on Sunday after the little available was supplied on Saturday.

The source confirmed that the depots are dry, saying “supply gets late thereby affecting product load out.”

In Lagos, black marketers were selling fuel for as high as N1,300 per liter and N1,500 per liter in some areas. The situation was similar in Ogun State, where fuel was sold for N1,200 per liter. In Abuja, the capital city, fuel was sold for between N660 per liter and N800 per liter, while black marketers sold for N1,200 per liter.

Oil marketers revealed that they were also queuing up to load petrol, adding that most depots lacked stock to sell.

The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, stated that marketers were buying PMS at a price above N700 per liter from private depots.

“We, marketers, too are surprised that we couldn’t get fuel as we used to get at depots. We were worried too; we didn’t know the cause until the NNPC came out with a release on Saturday. Let’s just believe what the NNPC said, that they would arrest the situation,” Fashola told The PUNCH.

“I believe that within this week, everything will be normalised by the time they push products to the depots for marketers to pick from. Ours is to pick from the depots, take it into our stations, and dispense to the public. But for now, most of the depots are dry. The implication of that is that the stations will be dry too. Most of our members have run out of stock. That is the cause of the queues we are experiencing now,” he added.

He noted that marketers were still buying PMS “at a price that is above N700/litre from the private depots.

“We are not yet getting direct supply from the NNPC as we are supposed to. What we are getting is so small compared to our population. That is why we are forced to go to the third parties, the private depot owners, and they are not helping matters with the kind of price they are putting out there.

“That is why independent marketers sell around N800 or so. Until we address this issue of direct supply, there will be issues. We keep shouting to the NNPC to look at that area properly because something is fundamentally wrong with our distribution channel and until they correct that, we will continue to have this issue of fuel scarcity.”

The Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, confirmed that there had been low stock but could not tell when the situation would improve.

He noted that the problem was that the stock was low because there had been some challenges in bringing the product into the country from the vessels.

“The problem is that the stock is low because there have been some challenges in bringing the product into the country from the vessels. We are all queuing up for products, everybody is looking for the product from the NNPC. Only the NNPC knows when normalcy will be restored. It is the sole supplier,” Isong stated

The situation has led to an increase in transportation fares, with commuters lamenting the hike in prices.

In some areas, black marketers were selling fuel for as high as N1,500 per liter, while fuel stations sold for between N750 and N800 per liter.

The fuel scarcity has also affected economic activities, with many businesses struggling to operate due to the high cost of fuel. The situation has further increased the cost of living in many states, with residents lamenting the hardship.

The NNPC has been urged to address the issue of direct supply, as marketers are forced to buy from private depots at high prices. The situation has led to a call for the government to intervene and resolve the fuel scarcity.

A former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Iyame has claimed that the planned nationwide protest on August 1 is a plot to remove the democratically elected government through the back door.

Iyame made the claim on Sunday while addressing a gathering of Yoro youths and community leaders at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Jalingo.

He warned the youths against joining the nationwide protest, insisting that the outcome may be difficult to contain, considering the challenges facing the country.

The former governor said, “We are all aware of the plan by some Nigerians to vent their anger on the government by agreeing to a national protest or shutdown. I must admit that in view of certain policies and long-standing national issues, the government should take the blame for some of the problems affecting our nation.

“However, we as Nigerians must examine our actions in the face of this unfortunate situation, to see whether or not we have contributed positively or otherwise in our various walks of life, to this situation.

“Whereas every Nigerian has the right to complain or protest against bad governance, the language employed by the planners is threatening, divisive and clearly aims at removing a democratically elected government.

“For this reason, I must warn you against joining the so-called National citizens protest being planned against the Government under the guise of advocating for good governance.”

He warned that the action can only worsen the situation and endanger the lives of thousands of people, pointing out that there is already a constitutional means of removing a bad government through the ballot box and not brigandage and terrorism.

“As you all know, Yoro is a peaceful and hard-working nation, with the people engaged in various noble means of livelihood, like farming. Indeed, we are among the largest producers of yams and other food items in Nigeria. We are not an idling society in which people engage in all types of vices for survival. We have no time to waste in a national protest that can only promote destruction,” he added.

The Ayo Adebanjo-led faction of Afenifere has expressed support for the planned protest scheduled for August 1.

Justice Faloye, the publicity secretary of Afenifere, who spoke in an interview on Arise TV, said the group warned the federal government about the implications of its economic policies on Nigerians.

Faloye’s comments followed the planned nationwide protest slated for August 1.

The federal government and President Bola Tinubu have asked the youths to shelve the planned protest against the rising cost of living.

Faloye said the planned protest was triggered by the economic crisis in the country, which he noted was caused by the policies of the Tinubu-led government.

The group’s spokesperson said Tinubu’s policies are “superficial” and cannot address the hardship in the country.

He added that the planned protest is an ‘organic reaction” to the economic policies of the Tinubu-led government.

“Afenifere is not planning to be a part of the protest, but we support anybody who wants to express their fundamental human rights,” Faloye said.

“We, in Afenifere, have been warning about the economic policies and that if it continues like this, you can’t stop people.

“Right from the beginning, we have shown you that you have gone on the wrong path. Afenifere has been saying that we need economic and political restructuring.

“All we have are palliatives and superficial moves that can’t resolve anything. We understand that the protest is an organic reaction.”

He appealed to the federal government to allow the protesters to express themselves, adding that protest usually turns violent when the government tries to stop it.

Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), says he no longer has confidence in the ability of Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate in 2023, to build a party that can win elections.

Okonkwo said Obi has “proved that even if the people vote for him, he doesn’t have what it takes to secure the mandate”.

In the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, Okonkwo left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for LP.

He was later appointed as one of the spokespersons of the LP presidential campaign council.

Recently, Okonkwo has been critical of the national working committee (NWC) of the LP led by Julius Abure, chairman of the party.

In June 2024, Okonkwo described the LP as “a secret society led by a group of clowns”, adding that he could not rule out leaving the party.

In a statement published on his X handle on Saturday, the LP chieftain said the recent happenings in the party have “inspired” him to “a determination to chart a new course for my political journey”.

He said after the 2023 elections, many Nigerians, including himself, had “high hopes” in Obi.

Okonkwo said he thought that the former Anambra governor would “seize the momentum and build a solid party of integrity that will have the solid base that we need to overthrow” the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“He just needed to give the right directives and everyone will fall in line. I received my first shock when he publicly declared that he didn’t promise Nigerians to build a strong Labour Party, but to solve Nigeria’s problems,” Okonkwo said.

“I was like, does it mean Peter Obi is not aware that without a solid party base, we are heading to nowhere politically?

“However, I continued in his defence believing he will still privately bring the needed solution to LP problems but to no avail.

“PO also publicly demanded that the Abure-led National Working Committee must organise an all-inclusive convention that will guarantee the participation of all members of the Labour Party in the choice of their leaders.

“This didn’t happen, and surprisingly, PO refused to disassociate himself from the shenanigans and criminal activities of the former NWC as their time had expired.

“Every member of the Labour Party is confused today as to the future of the Labour Party because of lack of leadership from PO over the party, and unfortunately, when they look up to me to tell them about PO’s standpoint, I sincerely have nothing to tell them because I don’t know myself.

“I cannot continue to speak on behalf of a leader that I do not know his stand on issues of great importance. I simply don’t know how to manipulate facts.”

‘OBI DIDN’T SUPPORT NLC EFFORT TO RESCUE LP’

Okonkwo said Obi did not support the efforts of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in “fighting criminals who want to hijack their party”.

He said an “ordinary statement” from the LP presidential candidate would have resolved the issues.

“However, the consequence is that I no longer have the confidence that PO has what it takes to build a party that can win these kakistocrats and kleptocrats, and above all, he has proved that even if the people vote for him, he doesn’t have what it takes to secure the mandate,” he said.

“I don’t intend to embark on such a campaign as we did in 2023, projecting a person who cannot sustain the victory even if he wins.

“It’s in this regard that I have decided to continue my political journey into the great Nigeria of our vision without Peter Obi.”

Okonkwo said his comments have “nothing to do with any desire to join APC or PDP”, adding that he will always join Nigerians in the aspirations for a better Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has stated that the Commission is fully prepared for the governorship election in Edo State on September 21.

Naija News reports that the INEC boss emphasized that there are currently no anticipated security threats.

Addressing the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, Yakubu assured that there have been no reports suggesting any security risks during the election.

Although a political party raised concerns about potential security issues during a visit by INEC National Commissioners to the state, there has been no formal report from any political party or candidate indicating a security threat.

Yakubu mentioned that during a meeting with political parties at the INEC office in Benin, the Commissioner of Police assured that any security concerns would be addressed in collaboration with the state government.

He said: “As we speak, we have less than 60 days to the election in Edo state and about 100 days to the election in Ondo state. Is the commission prepared for the elections? We are prepared for the election.

“I must also say that this commission in particular has history of having conducted three governorship elections in each of the two state. We conducted the 2016 governorship election in Edo, in 2020 September and now in September 2024.

“In Ondo, we conducted the election in 2016 October, in 2020 and by God’s grace, in November 2024. So, these are States where we have conducted previous elections successfully.

“I led a team of commissioners to the two states and we interfaced with the stakeholders particularly political parties and held meetings with the security agencies.

“In terms of our preparations, we don’t anticipate much problems in spite of the unfortunate flooding in our office in Edo. This is not the first time. In 2020, we operated from a rented office. But this time around, thank God the act of God came early and so, we have enough time to respond and to conduct the election in our own facility. The election will hold within our own premises.

“What is our concern for the Edo state governorship election? Just like any other election, it is security.

“When we were there (Edo), one of the political parties raised an issue about the likely deployment of the ESSN, the Edo State Security Network.

“Immediately we received the complaint, we headed to the office of the Commissioner of Police and held a meeting with all security agencies in Edo State.

“At that meeting, we agreed that we are going to meet with all the political parties in our office and we did so. The Commissioner of Police told us that he will take up the matter with the state government. The issue at that time was the issue of the Continuous Voter Registration.

“Since then, I am not aware of any complaint from any party or candidate on the role of the ESSN. So, I believe that the Commissioner of Police must have spoken to the leadership of the ESSN. For now, so far so good. I said so far so good. But we have 57 days to the election.”

Amidst lingering crisis, Dangote Refinery has revealed that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, is supplying insufficient crude oil for its production demand, hence it plans for alternative sources from Brazil and America.

Group Chief Commercial Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, Rabiu A. Umar made this known while speaking with newsmen in Kano.

Umar who said that NNPC supplies only 33 per cent of crude to the refinery, disclosed that it had to look elsewhere to source the remaining 67 per cent to meet its production capacity.

He said the refinery, which has the capacity of refining 650,000 per day, could not depend on short supply from Nigeria’s oil company.

According to Umar, the refinery had concluded plans to supply crude oil from Brazil and America by August.

“First of all the refinery is here in Nigeria. We have the crude oil here in Nigeria. We thought we would get the crude oil here and refined it here in our refinery for the benefit of the country and the citizens.

“Ironically, the country takes the crude oil overseas for refining while we have a refinery, one of the biggest in the world.

“So, we will not stay idle. We have to look for other sources to meet our production capacity. If we get the crude oil supply here in the country we have no reason to go overseas.

“Even now, we are planning to supply crude oil from countries like Brazil and USA,” he said.

He said the refinery had commenced supplies to foreign countries since February, disclosing that they receive orders from different countries for supply, especially aviation fuel.

The Chief Commercial Officer also revealed that the refinery needs 15 cargos of crude oil in September but NNPCL promised only 5 to it, lamenting that they see the government’s lackadaisical actions towards the refinery as sabotage.

According to him, the refinery should be celebrated and embraced by the government rather than painting it black as it is the biggest employer of labour with over 50,000 workers at the moment.

He emphasized that against the government’s false narratives, the refinery had started on a positive note as the quality of its refined products was world standard.

He said even the House of Representatives, under the leadership of its speaker, visited the refinery, saw the difference and was satisfied with the quality of the products.

The official also said, “We are here to defend ourselves and all the government narratives are not true. We urge the people to take samples of our products to ascertain their quality.

“We will not be deterred by the government’s criticism. We will continue until we reach the promised land,” Umar stated.

Recall, that the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, alongside NNPCL, had been locked up in a dispute, ranging from monopoly allegations to supply of crude for the refinery, substandard fuel imports and ownership of blending plants in Malta

The House of Representatives has announced it will advocate for the dismissal of Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), if what they perceive as efforts to undermine the Dangote Refinery are not halted immediately.

Naija News reports that the Deputy Spokesperson of the House, Philip Agbese, made this statement while addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday.

Agbese highlighted that the lawmakers have already called for the removal of the leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), expressing concern that both the NNPCL and NMDPRA are intent on sabotaging the Dangote Refinery.

Agbese noted that while many Nigerians have canceled planned protests over hardships, they insist on Kyari’s dismissal to ensure the refinery operates smoothly and supports the nation’s economy.

He emphasized that the House intends to investigate the ongoing conflict between Dangote Refinery and the NMDPRA.

Agbese stated, “We have been seeing a lot by way of demarketing campaigns to discredit the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and given the negative impact of this, which has caused panic in the country.

“It is on record that the House directed the President to sack NMDPRA’s CEO.

“The House of Representatives will not hesitate to call for the sack of Mele Kyari if the attempt to destroy the refinery project, a national asset, does not stop immediately.”

Naija News earlier reported that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, recently led a delegation to visit the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Company in Lagos.

During the visit, Abbas stated that the insights gained would help inform the House’s legislative actions and strategies.

The Senate has expressed deep regret over the sudden death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (APC – Anambra South) in London.

A statement by the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South) reads in part: “It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that the Nigeria Senate announces the passing of our esteemed colleague, Senator Ifeanyi Uba, who until his passing represented the Anambra South Senatorial District.

“Senator Uba was an exemplary leader, a committed public servant, and an indefatigable advocate for his constituents. His untimely departure represents a significant loss to the Senate, his community, and the nation at large. 

“Prior to his illustrious career in public service, Senator Ifeanyi Uba distinguished himself as a prominent businessman and philanthropist. As the founder and CEO of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, he made substantial contributions to Nigeria’s energy sector, fostering economic growth and creating numerous job opportunities.

“Through the Ifeanyi Uba Foundation, his philanthropic endeavors provided scholarships, healthcare, and vital support to the less privileged, profoundly impacting countless lives.

“Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Senator Uba demonstrated unwavering dedication to the progress and development of Anambra South and Nigeria as a whole.

“He was a beacon of hope, a champion of economic empowerment, and a steadfast supporter of legislative reforms aimed at improving the lives of all Nigerians.

“In expressing his condolences, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, remarked, ‘Senator Ifeanyi Uba was a dedicated and passionate legislator whose contributions have left an indelible mark on our nation. His commitment to his constituents and his work in the Senate were exemplary. He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.’

“The Nigeria Senate extends our deepest sympathies to Senator Uba’s family, friends, and constituents. We also offer our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Anambra State. We pray that they find strength and solace in the legacy of service and dedication he leaves behind. 

“His memory will forever remain in our hearts, and his contributions to our nation’s progress will continue to inspire us all.”

Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has mourned the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
Recall that Ifeanyi Ubah died in London on Saturday

Reacting to the development, Obi, in a statement on his X handle, said Ubah’s death was a rude shock.

“I received a rude shock this morning, the news of the death of my dear younger brother, and Senator Representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.” 

Obi recalled that he was welcomed by Ubah after attending the burial of Chief Pius Onwuzo in Nnewi, Anambra State, on July 12th.

Obi also prayed that God should grant Ubah eternal rest.

“Senator Ubah personally welcomed me at the burial and requested that I visit his house for lunch, to which I pleaded with him to reschedule to another date as I already had several engagements for the day.

“During our discussions on the state of the nation, he told me that he now understands my commitment to the progress of humanity and that he aligns with it.

“He assured me that, despite our party differences, we would work together as a family, in serving our people.

“Similarly, despite party differences, I commended him for his contributions to a better humanity through his Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation, via which he cared for the less privileged in society, by investing in their education and health and pulling people out of poverty. I urged him to continue in that direction.

“May God Almighty who called him home, at this time, forgive his sins and grant him eternal rest, and grant his family, the entire Anambra South Senatorial District; Anambra State; Nigeria; and all of us, the fortitude to bear this sad irreplaceable loss.

“God Almighty protect and bless his family always.”