The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, has therefore, directed that all NNPC retail stations must always open for business with a view to curtailing the situation.
Group General Manager (GGM), Group Public Affairs of the corporation, Mr Udu Ughamadu disclosed this to Nigerian Tribune on phone in Abuja.
Mr Ughamadu, who said the NNPC refineries have hit up their productions so as to ensure availability of the product before, during and after festive period, added that security operatives were cooperating with the corporation to monitor and bring normalcy to the sector.
According to him, “we held a meeting with tanker drivers association and NARTO yesterday, and both parties confirmed that their members have been diverting product.
“Suddenly, the domestic consumption went up from 30 million litres per day to 80 million litres per day. The point remains where is this balance going? Which means there are a lot of leakages taking place in the system inform of diversion and smuggling of the products.
“Yesterday (Thursday), eight trucks were going to Bauchi State, but not a single truck arrived Bauchi. But the surveillance efforts are on and the security agencies are also cooperating with the NNPC to ensure that normalcy returns to the various retail outlets”, he assured.
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