By Princely Onyenwe, Imo
It is unbelievable that while the people are groaning, FG has refuted the rumour On Fuel Scarcity And Lack Of Sugar Production Across The Country while stating their Reasons below.
Fuel scarcity has hit the country again after Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority- NMDPRA and Petroleum Marketers have waited for a longtime to see the proposed circulation of the billions of litres of Premium motor spirit PMS promised by Government.
Our correspodent reports that only one depot is selling PMS in Port-Harcourt while concessions are given to few marketers to sale.
It may interest our readers to not that the importation of the Products which failed to meet applicable quality specifications and the subsequent directive to withdraw the affected commodity from the market created a huge supply gap, resulting in astronomical rise in long queues, pump price and high transport fare across NIGERIA.
This has affected the fuel pump price across the States of the Federation where filling stations are now selling at 250 naira per liter.
In Owerri for instance, some filling stations have closed down while the few that are selling at 165 naira per litre could not continue because of limited quantity of PMS as gathered by 9News Nigeria Owerri.
Our reporter in Abuja NIGERIA has also confirmed the same scarcity of fuel in the area while NMDPRA’s Abuja zonal controller, Roselyn Wilkie explained that the long queues in the FCT was not a deliberate attempt to make life unbearable for the people, but a short- term effect of measures taken by the authorities to ensure that only standard quality petrol is being supplied to the market.
Recall that there was circulation of bad fuel Products imported into the country through our vessels earlier this week and immediately it was dictated was halted by the NIGERIAN MIDSTREAM and DOWNSTREAM PETROLEUM REGULATORY AUTHORITY, NMDPRA for the purpose of safety.
In a related development, Sugar was said to have been scarce for few weeks ago following the its reduction in production but the federal government says production was not reduced as speculated.
The Federal Government on Wednesday refuted claims of imminent sugar scarcity in Nigeria and stressed that there was also no reduction in the production of the commodity.
It warned operators in the sector to desist from making unnecessary propaganda capable of distorting the progress being recorded in Nigeria’s sugar production industry.
In an advertorial published on monday 14-02-2022 by some national dailies and social media platforms which said BUA Foods Plc had alleged that Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc suspended sugar sales because the 2022 raw sugar allocation had been declined by the government is not true.
Flour Mills had since debunked the claim. BUA had also accused Dangote Sugar of halting sales of the product in a bid to create scarcity and force prices to go up.
Reacting to this in Abuja at the public presentation of the approved 2022 presidential raw sugar quota allocations to representatives of refineries in the sector, the Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Zacch ADEDEJI, warned operators to stop raising FALSE ALARM.
He said, “The attention of the council was drawn to a publication in some sections of the media credited to BUA Foods on the suspension of sugar sales.
“Given the strategic importance of the sugar value chain to the Nigerian economy, the council wishes to state that there is no known stoppage in sugar production by any of the operators as a result of compliance issues or on the council’s mandate.”
There is enough production of sugar in circulation and NIGERIANs have to be rest assured that BAU foods Plc, Flour mills of Nigeria and Dangote Sugar has not suspended the sales of sugar in the country as Alleged.
It is therefore expected of Government to hasten efforts to import good quality fuel and it’s allied Products.
NIGERIAN Refineries are long overdue to commence local production to curb the menace of scarcity and it’s retarding tendencies as motorist groan over retrieval of toxic fuel cum improved supply.
However, Sugar Scarcity has led to the increase of the cost of bread and cake all over the states of the Federation.
🍞 🍞 🥪 🍞While our correspodents asked, we were told that sugar scarcity in Nigeria is a reality and that is the cause of increase in the cost of bread and cake and until the cost of sugar is reduced bread cannot reduce, marketers hinted.
9News Nigeria (Owerri) For inquiries on this news contact 9News Nigeria Imo State @08036856526
