SCARCITY of petroleum products across the country took a turn for the worst yesterday, with most motorists within the Lagos area forced off the road, while others who had to move around were compelled to purchase petrol from the black market at over N250 per litre.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) claimed it had fixed the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline which was damaged by an explosion caused by vandals.
In other parts of the South-West, the story was not different from that in Lagos with motorists in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Akure, Benin and Osogbo forced to patronise the black market where petrol sold for an average of N200 per litre.
Reports from Imo State also indicated that motorists had to purchase petrol at N130 per litre in Owerri, while in other parts of the South-East � Onitsha, Enugu, Aba, Umuahia, Abakaliki and Awka � the situation was the same.
In Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Warri, Uyo and Calabar, petroleum products scarcity has also taken its toll with profiteering now the order of the day.
Petroleum products scarcity is also taking its toll on motorists and other consumers in the north.
In a statement in Lagos yesterday, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, General Manager in charge of the NNPC Group Public Affairs Department said the damage to the Atlas Cove-Mosimi line was largely responsible for the disruption of products’ supply and distribution.
�Nigerians may recall that on the morning of December 8, 2006, the very vital Mosimi-Atlas Cove pipeline was seriously vandalised. This resulted in an inferno that lasted for over a week with attendant casualties on the part of the vandalised. Efforts to repair the damaged pipeline after the fire was put out were just completed by noon on December 24, 2006. This means that in the last 12-14 days, vessels conveying products could not discharge, and as a result, pumping of products within system 2B (Lagos-Ilorin axis) was reduced.
�Atlas Cove-Mosimi remains the most important inlet for products distribution in the country. Therefore, any disruption on it will result to distribution problems. We are happy to report that pumping and loading has resumed on this vital line.
�It will take a few more days for normalcy to return. We, therefore, appeal to motorists and other consumers to exercise a little patience. We also appeal to tanker drivers to transport products throughout the holiday period,� the General Manager said.
Dr. Ajuonuma denied speculations about an impending increase in pump prices of petroleum products.