Major filling stations in Port Harcourt are closed for business today. Some of the stations are situate along Aba rd, Ikwerri rd, and Rumuokoro Chiba stretch off East West.
National Ambassador gathered that the fuel dealers closed shop due to speculations that the main depot in Port Harcourt was no longer distributing fuel.
The sudden closure of the filling station however caused long cues at the few open petrol stations, though the filling stations sold at the normal price of N145 per liter.
Meanwhile, chairman Independent Markers Association of Nigeria IPMAN in Rivers state Emmanuel Inimgba says there was no petrol scarcity, and motorist should not engage in panic buying. He said there is enough petrol product to serve users in the state.
” authoritatively, I can say there is enough product. Even there is a vessel at Okirika Jetty, for onward discharge. So this panic about increment in price has caused artificial panic buying. There is nothing like that. They should go about there business. No need to buy and hoard product. Some stations that are closed, could be because of one or two security reasons. They did not just close, it is not an intentional act” he stated.
Last weekend, the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation NNPC asked Nigerians to report any filling station that sells petrol above the N145 per liter bench mark, which also caused the fear of insufficient supply of petroleum product in the country, and gave an assurance of an eventful Easter period. It explains that 23 depot in Lagos, 7 in Port Harcourt, 11 in Warri, 6 in Calaber and 8 in Kaduna are fully stocked.
