Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the South East, on Tuesday, assured customers in the zone of sufficient products supply during the Yuletide.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that filling stations in Awka sell fuel between N163 and N167 per litre.
Officials of the DPR and IPMAN advised customers against panic-buying of the products as there was enough quantity to serve the state during the Christmas and New Year period.
Mr Okiemute Akpomudjere, the DPR Operations Controller, Anambra office, told NAN that there was no need for panic-buying by customers or hoarding by marketers during the period.
”We have enough supply for Anambra; there is no need for panic-buying by customers or hoarding by marketers”, Akpomudjere said.
He warned marketers against hoarding as the department would not condone artificial scarcity.
He said the market had been deregulated and that customers now have the options of buying in filling stations which sold at cheaper rate.
“On our part, we will continue with our monitoring to ensure that marketers give the right dispensing by ensuring that the gauge is within the tolerance limit.
“Government has removed five naira per litre, it is our duty to ensure that it is enforced but we advise customers to be sensitive to price differences and patronise the ones that give them greater value,” he said.
He promised that the DPR would continue to ensure that customers got value for their money.
Mr Chinedu Anyaso, IPMAN Chairman, Enugu Depot, also told NAN that allocation to the zone which include Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states was sufficient.
Anyaso blamed the price differences on how individual stations sourced their products and the cost of transport.
He, however, stressed the need for the marketers to sell competitively.
He noted that five naira per litre reduction had not been effective because marketers had not been loading at the NNPC depots.
“The zone is ‘wet’ , we hope to have a seamless distribution this period but the only challenge is that we are relying on private depots and that has affected our pump price.
“We want to be lifting product from the NNPC depots. The one in Enugu should be revitalised, this will reduce our landing cost and help us sell at the cheapest possible rate,” he said.
