The Petroleum and Natural Gas Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, said that the fuel scarcity being experienced nationwide would soon be a thing of the past adding that the Federal Government has started offsetting the debt they own the oil marketers.
Speaking to Channels Television via telephone on Monday morning former National Spokesman of PENGASSAN Mr Seyi Gambo stated that in few days time long queues would disappear from the nation’s filling stations.
Oil marketing companies under the aegis of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, had embarked on a nationwide strike over the unpaid subsidy fund.
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Femi Olawore, MOMAN’s Executive Secretary, stated that the firms were running out of stock and the hope of getting money for importation to replenish their stock was not feasible.
The marketers after reaching an understanding with the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, called off their strike which followed a deadlock with the Federal Government over outstanding fuel subsidy payments.
Olawore however said they have been able to offset part of the debt after the Federal Government paid the N154 billion, which is a part payment of the subsidy.
While calling for patience, the former National Spokesman of PENGASSAN stated that it had become imperative for Nigerians to decide “once and for all” if the fuel subsidy should be removed.
“I am of the opinion that it should be removed but there should be a programme by the Government that agrees at a certain time we are exiting out of this and by that time we have infrastructure for refineries (to be in operation) to revert this total importation of fuel.
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“As long as we have this mass importation of fuel, we cannot have anything other than this because there will be gaps and leakages in the system and the system is so corrupt,” he said.
