*We have fuel supply, we won’t shortchange – Station manager
*Things are changing for better, we hope it continues – Motorist
By Our Reporters
The Nigeria’s Government agencies charged with the supply and regulation of petroleum management in the country are now pro-actively moving round to forestall possible artificial fuel scarcity as this year’s yuletide season is around.
The DEFENDER, in discharging its responsibility as agenda setting for the love of country and good of Nigerians, had brought up an assignment during which it got people who spoke on what government can do this year to avert repeat of unfortunate obviously artificial fuel scarcity that the nation witnessed during the yuletide period last year 2017.
Making the loud advice some three months back in its reports, this online newspaper amplified repeadedly voice of some concerned citizens warning that the Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration should tighten up its strategy against artificial scarcity this year, even as they expressed that politicians of opposition party’s desperation currently convinced them that they could be up to making up some conspiracies with fuel marketers to discredit the government in the eyes of Nigerians, being that general elections of February 2019 would be close by.
Following that call by the concerned citizens, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in a statement by his director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, also joined in alerting the government to rise to the preemptive moves to stop them before they harsh such plan and plunge innocent Nigerians into hardship during a period they should be celebrating Christmas and New Year.
“We are happy with the NNPC on supply. The last time we have supply in this filling station is was this morning and it was 35,000 litres and as you can see, we are up to the task attending to our customers,” manager of one of the stations in Lagos said.
“Things are now changing for better in Nigeria. Gone are the days when the moment we entire into this period, queues would have been so much at every filling station as a result of the attitude of marketers who created artificial scarcity to up their earning,” a motorist said.
Another motorist said, “I hope what we are experiencing now continues. I don’t fault the supply really. What I blame is the sales at the stations. But I am comfortable with what I have seen especially seeing government officials moving round to check all of those negative attitudes that are borne by unfortunate characters of we Nigerians in business of this nature”.
