TheCable

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says building fuel queues in petrol stations across the nation will be eliminated in no time, as the federal government has ordered the payment outstanding subsidy claims.

NNPC said it would inject of additional volumes of premium motor spirit to enrich product availability in the affected areas.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ohi Alegbe, group general manager of the public affairs division of the NNPC, said the corporation’s initiative to ensure zero fuel queues has been bolstered with the approval by the FG for the immediate payment of N413bn to oil marketers as outstanding payment for subsidy claims.

“It is our belief that with the outstanding payment due to oil marketers now assured, the marketers and other downstream players will join hands with the NNPC to guarantee that the nation remains wet with petroleum products all year round,” he said on behalf of the corporation.

He also revealed that the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) would deploy monitoring teams to ensure seamless fuel sales.

“Apart from increasing the volume of products distributed to stations across the country, inspection team from the PPMC have been commissioned to go round our operational areas to ensure compliance  with laid down rules regarding loading and product evacuation across board to eliminate hoarding and other vices detrimental to the free flow of products,” he said.

The NNPC indicated that its drive is to ensure zero fuel queues ahead of the forthcoming yuletide and beyond.

In its August 2015 report, the corporation revealed that it was running at a loss, due to unrealised subsidy claims to the tune of N231bn.

In September, the report revealed that the corporation was still recording loses due to underperforming refineries and outstanding subsidy claims as much as N249.15bn.