The queues at filling stations for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, may subside this week as PMS loading has resumed in Lagos depots.
Our correspondent reported on Saturday that the depot owners decided not to open for business because of the hunger protest that started on Thursday. Truck owners and drivers were also afraid of possible attacks while transporting fuel.
Oil marketers had also explained on Monday that the reappearance of queues at filling stations in many states was because of the halt in the supply of petroleum products by dealers in a bid to avert losing their assets due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests.
Many states in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, witnessed varying degrees of queues about two weeks ago, which the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited blamed on a “hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels.”
While the company and stakeholders worked together to tackle the challenge, the nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship commenced on Thursday, August 1, 2024, disrupting petrol supply again and causing the reappearance of queues in some states.
However, reliable sources at the depots told our correspondent on Monday that some trucks were loaded on Sunday and Monday to supply petrol across the country.
Officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and other government agencies were reportedly at the depots to supervise the process.