Fuel scarcity looms in Nigeria as the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, withdraws its service nationwide on Monday, February 19, due to economic hardship caused by high operational costs and low freight rates.
A recent letter signed by the national president, Yusuf Lawal Othman, to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, indicated that service withdrawal commences from today, Monday.
The Association said it had made several efforts to negotiate with the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria, MEMAN, and other critical stakeholders in the industry for appropriate and commensurate freight rates for its operations but received no positive responses.
The notice of withdrawal of their services and operations portends serious implications for the supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country, as NARTO controls over 80 per cent of the petroleum transportation in Nigeria.
NARTO said it had no other option but to inform NUPENG that its National Executive Council, NEC, had resolved to direct all its members not to make their petroleum trucks available for petroleum product loading activities starting Monday, February 19, 2024.
The group appealed to its employees, who are members of NUPENG, to show maximum cooperation, support and understanding of its collective efforts for the continued sustainability of the petroleum haulage business and effective service delivery by ensuring adequate and immediate compliance with the directive.
The workers lamented that it was impossible to continue in the business within the context of the country’s current economic situation.
The notice of withdrawal of operations was also sent to the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency, MMDPRA, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the executive secretary of MEMAN.
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