In recent times, festive seasons, particularly December when Christmas is celebrated, Nigerians were subjected to long hours on queues in am attempt to by fuel. But no such thing will happen this December, assures the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
The Corporation said on Tuesday that the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, had been directed to sustain steady petrol supply during and beyond the Christmas and New Year festive season, which usually witness supply hiccups.
Maikanti Baru, Group Managing Director, NNPC, made the commitment during the inauguration of the board of directors of the PPMC, a subsidiary of the corporation.
He said in a statement issued by Ndu Ughamadu, the corporation’s spokesperson, that, “The festive season is fast approaching, a period when almost always, people expect queues to happen. If last year you had a queue-free festive season, we want this year’s to be a season where fuel station attendants will be inviting motorists to their stands for fuelling.”
Baru charged the PPMC management to strategically cut down the company’s operating cost so as to add value to the corporation, adding that the petroleum marketing firm was not expected to make losses.
Ikem Obi, Chief Operating Officer, Downstream, and alternate Chairman of the Board of PPMC, said the country would never return to the era of products scarcity.
Umar Ajiya, Managing Director, PPMC, said the resuscitation of depots in parts of the country had contributed to the steady supply of products nationwide.
He was emphatic that the company would be placed on the part of profitability and noted that other petroleum products would be equally made available alongside petrol.