Hardship: Fuel scarcity looms as petrol tanker drivers withdraw services nationwide

Hardship: Fuel scarcity looms as petrol tanker drivers withdraw services nationwide

 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.

Source: Hardship: Fuel scarcity looms as petrol tanker drivers withdraw services nationwide

 - NigerianEye
Invest in US dollars: https://hashflare.io/r/CF2F6691