Go after fuel saboteurs, group urges DSS

A group under the aegis of The Natives on Sunday called on security agencies to hunt and arrest rogue oil marketers and saboteurs responsible for the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

This was contained in a statement released in Abuja by the group’s President, Smart Edwards.

Edwards described as ‘politically motivated’ the current fuel queue and hardship Nigerians were going through as a result of fuel scarcity.

The appeal is coming in the wake of report by a senior official in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, that the fuel scarcity might get worse in the days and weeks to come as there were many issues affecting the smooth supply of the product across the country.

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The source further disclosed that the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Limited to import sufficient volume of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) is primarily responsible for the current scarcity.

But a livid Edwards charged Nigerians and security agencies including the Department of State Services to hold some players in the oil sector responsible for sabotaging the efforts of the NNPCL even as they unilaterally implement unapproved fuel prices.

According to him, Nigerians are tired of hearing about a turnaround maintenance every year in the non-functional refineries in the country.

The group, however, applauded the Federal Government, through the Minster of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the NNPCL on their spirited efforts to seek a possible means to end fuel importation by next year.

The statement partly read, “The Minister quoted the President as saying ‘this is not the time for any price increase in pump price of the PMS. He explained that what was playing out was the handiwork of mischief makers and those planning to discredit the achievements of the President in the oil and gas sector of the economy. Therefore, these saboteurs should not be allowed to succeed,” Edwards said.

“Saboteurs (among the marketers and distributors) have deliberately, and for selfish reasons, caused the scarcity to the extent that Nigerians testify in worship centres if they eventually fill their car tanks.

“This is abnormal which should not be allowed to stand. We call on the DSS and the NSCDC to go after these enemies of the state.

“We strongly condemn the scare and conducts of players that are leading to hike and queues as politically motivated, and this is sad, because the masses are at the receiving end.

“We can see discoveries of Kolmani and that of Nasarawa State recently, the future effect of drilling and the implementation of the Petroleum Investment Act is a clear signal of hope. We believe that turnaround surely awaits the affected states, because it means job opportunities for the youths and other opportunities for the host communities.

“We, however, commend the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the deliberate policy targeting our roads and highways via the Tax Credit Policy. This has made the NNPCL very visible to the needs of the citizens and the nation can only be better for it.”