 I'm sure you're very curious about why we're experiencing petrol scarcity or, you know, the scarcity of the products that has actually cost a lot of suffering for Nigerians. This morning, we hope to get answers. We have the Piero Ipman joining the conversation. Well, a bit of a background to it. Nigerians have continued to complain over the scarcity of premium motor spirit, popularly known as petrol in Lagos, Abuja, Aqaibom, and Kosovo and all the cities in Nigeria. According to the Independent National Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ipman, the Nigerian national petroleum company limited her sufficient supply of products. That's petroleum products. Well, it was also explained that the reason for the scarcity of petroleum product had to do with the distribution challenges relating to dollarization and distribution challenges. Now, on Tuesday, the Nigerian national petroleum company limited broken silence over the current fuel scarcity being experienced in Lagos, Abuja, and all the major cities. In what appears to be their first official reaction to the crisis in downstream or industry, the NMPC limited blame the fuel scarcity and long queues of filling station on some road projects going on in Lagos. Days ago, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ipman disclosed that the private depot owners should be blamed for the ravaging fuel scarcity. However, the major oil market association of Nigeria, Momen, has said that it's working with the Nigerian national petroleum company and NMPC limited to boost the distribution of petrol across the country. It was gathered that citizens now resort to buying fuel at a whooping black market price of 500 naira to 700 naira per liter because of the unending fuel unavailability while those who buy petrol fuel from filling station have to queue overnight and for long hours just to buy at 300 naira and above while pleural of reasons are flying in as to the real costs of the situation. The scarcity is still ongoing in this morning. To make sense of all of that, we have Ukadike Chinadum, national chairman of the PRO, Ipman joining the conversation this morning. Yeah, good morning. Good morning Nigerians. All right, Ukadike, thank you for joining us. We appreciate your time. Thank you. So NMPC limited is saying that the reason for petrol scarcity is because of, you know, the road construction that's going on in different parts of the country. Lagos, Abuja and what have you. And of course, no one can deny there's a lot of construction that's going on in Lagos. But what exactly is the situation? What really is a truth? Okay, I also want to thank you for this question. It's very, very simple. And the simple answer is that yes, there is first construction to be done in Nigeria, but not all the depots as acclaimed by the NMPC that are little road construction around Napa Pa area. But there are other projects that are not situated only in Napa Pa. We have videos in private tank farms in Warwick. We also have private tanks farms in Botangot. We also have private tank farms in Calabar. So all these places can also be used to support these problems. If actually they put up their logistics very, very well. If there is a relatively construction in Napa Pa, the vessels can be able to tilt towards the southern area of the country. We also have enough depots that can be able to distribute this pattern even seamlessly without we're suffering this on this capacity. So, but I'd like to understand how this construction is affecting the availability of the products. Can you please turn the light on that? Yeah, that is what I'm doing. The pronunciation is just what I said. It does inter-route construction in Napa Pa. Yes, we agree. That does not stop movement of vehicles or movement of trucks out of also on those depots because we are aware that there are some also alternative routes where trucks can be able to move and discharge a product from. And usually I agree with them that there is really construction in Napa Pa. What happens in Botangot area? We have almost 40 private depots and NNPC facilities that they can also be Napa Pa is there, NNPC can dispense petroleum products to the rest of the country. We also have water depots that can also do that. We also have some of the videos in water, private depot tank farms. We also store the tank farms among the water areas whereby the vessel can be able to come there and drop the product. And there will be even distribution of this petroleum product, independent market pass can be able to reach that place and buy these products and also take it to their filling stations. Similarly, without these kind of excuses and suffering the masses. So what exactly then is responsible for the scarcity of these products because I have noticed that some petrol stations are not even open. No sign of any human activity or whatsoever. What exactly is responsible? Well, you have in your earlier comment at the good that some of the problems that federal government is facing in terms of subsidizing this petroleum product, the high rate of dollar in Nigeria. Federal government, I feel, cannot continue to subsidize this petroleum product because if you look at the actual cost of these products being imported into this country, you'll find out that it's really taking a toll on the economy of the country. The economy is really most diving. So federal government cannot continue and that was why you see there's a little bit slack in terms of distribution of petroleum product. If NNPC is posting the house of shed period of 30 days, that is not correct. Where if independent market pass will continue to source for this product, to this day, I feel, final line, in particular refinery decor, most of our trucks are lying down funnel. And those trucks that are lying down funnel have spent almost two weeks, three weeks on the expense of the market and trying to see whether they can be able to see product to load. Of the NNPC, there are no product to load. So if NNPC is saying they have sufficient period, where is the sufficient period? Why they are posting that from this good way to the independent market pass? And the essence of NNPC climate that they have product, when people are suffering, when prices are increasing, it's unfair. You understand? It's very unfair. If we have product with the independent market pass, we can go at any length to source that product and take it to our finitions and sell. So the essence of saying they have product and the viscosity is not correct. But let me not say it's not correct. The issue of the road is not correct. I also believe, evenly, that there is a problem between the suppliers of this petroleum product to the federal government. Because most of them are now finding very, very difficult to be able to bring in this product at the rate at which the federal government want to buy. And the federal government is finding very, very difficult because of the here being there for sure few dollars to import this product. Because Nigeria is depending on the production of petroleum product. As you're really taking the toll on our economy, you will find out that this is also bringing about inflation. You also find out that this is also bringing the higher rate of dollar in this country. Because all the processes of important petroleum products, even look at the distribution of petroleum products, are under a rise. And once they are under a rise, you will find out that the local dollar market tracks, because if you end up not giving them some bonus, they go to another program market to then buy that dollar. And once they buy that dollar on that program market, you also find out that they will put in this market into the petroleum product answer to be the ordinary consumer. So there is this issue, there is a connection between the federal government and political leaders. You can also find out anytime there is transition in power, during Jonathan, this kind of thing happens. Anytime there is transition of power, those that are putting this problem are very, very careful so that they will not take their backlog or their backlog to the next administration. We might not be able to understand the way these issues work. So they are very, very skeptical in terms of continuous supply of petroleum product. They always want the federal government to be able to pay them off thereof or something like that. So it's happening some similar decision. And I'm also liking what is also happening now. So in Nigeria, there is no total industrialization in terms of management of refuse. And also I want to also let you know that since the NNPC is on bondage and since NNPC is on bondage is very, very difficult for most of the administration to be able to key in into the existing administrative structure that are coming in. So I think there is another lack of administrative creation that can be able to give seamless distribution of petroleum product. So these are some of the challenges independent marketers are facing. And these are also some of the primary and remote causes of lack of petroleum products. You don't talk about, you talk about pricing. When you talk about price, you also find out that the price of petroleum product is going up. It also find, it also understand that the NNPC and federal government cannot be able to continue to manage this issue of supply. It's better they come up and be able to play the member parts of the public that this is what we are facing and this is how we can be able to resolve this matter so that you will be able to get your petroleum at a government approved price or a complete open market price. Now if you go to your finish station, you will see Q. This finish station, when you look at it, it is government owned. Like NNPC is now incorporated. They are buying off some private finish stations and they are selling 179 Naira. They are really dependent marketers. We also buy from NNPC as almost at 210 Naira. Then how can winners sell at 179 Naira? So there is no competitive market, but it's no open market for whereby competitions were tried. So that is the problem. The problem of this finish is a problem. Uka Dike, let's establish something here. The NNPC is saying that they have enough products, which can actually take the country for like 30 days. And yet we're experiencing scarcity. I don't know what points that this product is available. Is it before noun or noun? So but if that's the case, why is there scarcity? That's on the one hand. Secondly, you've talked about the fact that the marketers have to source for the product. And that's because NNPC cannot buy at a certain rate. The cost of importation is on the high, especially when you look at the exchange rate, the Naira to the dollar, we're paying in dollars. And so it will probably be on the high. So I'd like you to throw more light on it. Is it that the NNPC is unwilling to pay at a certain rate? What exactly is it with the situation? And why are you now sourcing for the product yourself? What are you buying from? Are you buying directly from these suppliers or are you getting it from the NNPC? Okay, if you look at the release by NDP last week of product quantity, they have for the country, you will find out that there are quantity that are made for NNPC retails. There are good storage and capacity too. There are also quantity made for mormon. You understand me, they have, there are also quantity made for Batman. You will find out that there's no quantity made for independent marketers. And independent marketers control 90% of the distribution process, distribution chain in this country. And there is no way an independent marketer is not located. Are there nooks and crannies of this country? You can find out the independent marketers and they are everywhere. So if you are having products allocated to mormon, you have product allocated to Batman, and you don't have product allocated to the IP man. So that IP man can be able to access their product and be able to distribute it. It is a very serious snack in terms of distribution chain. It means that members of independent marketers numbering over 10,000 filling stations will wait and queue in Batman depots and queue in mormon depots and also queue in NNPC depots to be able to get their product. All this one particular thing I also want you to understand. But NNPC, who is the so important and so distributor and not the sole retailer of a petroleum product? There's no deep rise this chain. If you want to talk about something, you talk about deep rise on the market. You don't mobilize the market. You open up the market, you open up the potential, you open up distribution, you open up storage. So if at NNPC saying that they have social quality of product reserved for mormon, social quality of product reserved for Batman, where is the one reserved for independent marketers? Who do you know that are in everywhere in this country? And you will find out that there is no queue in independent marketers' filling stations. Because we go to Batman, we go to mormon to sell this product at a higher rate. And when we buy it, we take it to our own filling station and put small amount of money or interest to be able to send it. And that is where you see the product is going for 200, 210, 230. And if you find out in your locality where this product is sold at this amount of money, you will know that there is no queue. Where you will see queue is NNPC's filling stations where they are selling 1,4900 per liter. So in other words, what we're currently faced with is a distribution issue. NNPC is not distributed into everywhere. It's a pure distribution issue because NNPC has abandoned their proper distribution channels. We have trade wonderful owned by NNPC. Those trade wonderfuls is vastly spread in this country. Those trade wonderfuls are sufficiently distributed to the product through the pipeline. What we are looking at, the president should come up and declare a set of emergency on all these pipelines. And how did they go to the people like the way they did in the NIDA data, the way they did in the offshore pipelines? How did they go to a consign or a consultant that can be able to manage these pipelines and ensure that products from PPMC deposit are able to move to various deposits and those deposits can take their product. You will not see people cladding in APAPA. Why people cladding in APAPA? Because the man from Guzu is going to about to then fetch his product. The man from Bore, the man from Sukutu, the man from Dhammatu, the man from Aafiqo. They are all, everybody is now headed to APAPA. Where do we have private platforms? Where NNPC uses the Sukutu? Why is the platform, it's giving toast on our route? It's causing a lot of accidents. It's this thing. So who are them? So if you say the NNPC, I mean, we need to begin to call it a wrap then. If you say the NNPC has abandoned her distribution channels, you're saying 21 depots and they're not distributing to them. So who exactly are they distributing to? Are they also part of the distribution channel? Are they part of the chain of command? All those depots have been lying below for the past five years now. All those depots have been lying below. NNPC is not using it because of fluency issues of pipeline vandalization. We have to quit in this country. We have to commit to this goal. Somebody must take responsibility for his actions and inactions at any particular point in time. We don't just say because something about your abandoned or multi-billionaire investment government has used to ease this kind of stress. So that is the problem we are facing. If NNPC finishes those depots in Aba, Makode, Yola, all these places, they are all working. We won't talk about Aba, Aba will be less free and stress free. It is everywhere within Lagos, so the depots are not rest of them. They can be able to go to good states. They can be able to come to Lagos to pick their problem. The country is divided in a way by the NNPC to be able to distribute petroleum products within your own locality. So who are they distributing to now? Let's get that out of the way. Now what they are doing now is that they are using private tax firms to distribute them because most of these private tax firms are located along the waterways. And those waterways is where they can be able to use them because we want to let you know that we are putting petroleum products. We are depending on putting petroleum products outside this country. And this problem came to the vessels. And that is why you see the private tax firms owners building their tax firms along the waterways so that they can be able to use their vessels and put the product in their tax firms and now distribute. And NNPC have opiumed that this is their best way of distributing petroleum products so that they cannot be able to incur losses. Because whenever they come from through departments, they incur losses. So they don't want to incur losses anymore by vandalization. So that is the problem we are putting. OK. So in other words, if they go back to distributing via the normal channel, we might not be facing petro-scurcity. That's what you're saying? Yeah, we will not at all. We will not. And you will receive, you will get this product as a very cheaper product because pipeline distribution of petroleum products is the fastest and the best way. And the risk-free free. You understand me? That's the best way to distribute the petroleum product because petroleum products can be distributed from. We have to. Because that's what we found out. Even up to YOLA through the pipeline. That is the way it's designed. So we need to recover the pipelines. Thank you so much. I mean, that's very insightful thoughts that you have shared with us this morning. Uqa Dikei Chinadum, we appreciate your time. Yes, thank you and I also want to add that independent marketers does not have any business in that aspect. It's going to refinery or going to any airport to go and take that and know what we wanted this product. What the product are available in any facility, government facility, or any licensed facility by DPR. We are ready to go and buy it there as government rate and selling it off in these stations. We don't have any business. I heard somebody was saying that they want to go and take that and know that is not the conscience of independent marketers. We don't have any business going to any airport to go and stand and use the police to find data. No, we don't. We don't have any business at all. Our business is to buy products and sell it off in these stations. Thank you so much. We have to go. We look forward to sharing your thoughts as we proceed. We hope that, you know, petrol and its availability will become a thing of reality for Nigerians. But that's it this morning. Uqa Dikei Chinadum is a national PRO officer. Of course, Ibn Man. Thank you so much for being part of the show. Well, that's the much we can take at this point in time. We'll take a break and when we return, we'll be looking at ASU and the recent developments. Stay with us.