President Muhammadu Buhari has on Wednesday apologised to Nigerians over the petrol scarcity and power outage experienced in the country.
There has been petrol scarcity in the country following the importation of off-spec petrol into the country since February which added with current power outages across the country.
In a statement issued by Presidential Spokesman Garba Shehu, Buhari said he regrets the inconvenience experienced by Nigerians regarding the petrol shortage, adding that actions would be taken against those responsible for worsening the situation.
“I deeply regret the inconvenience caused Nigerians, following a prolonged shortage of petroleum products, something that our administration has successfully averted in our seven years in office.
“This administration knows the fuel shortage has placed a strain on Nigerian citizens and businesses, but relief is on the way. I especially apologize to all sections of society for this.
The President said the federal government is working hard to address the scarcity.
“Working together with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), this plan is now bearing fruit.
He said sufficient fuel supply has returned to most of the states, with the queues at stations diminishing, expecting that other states would be supplied as well.
Buhari warned that, “I have received information that some people are not behaving properly at the depots and among owners of petrol stations, and in this regard, I have directed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the NNPC and the entire security apparatus of the nation to take strong action against those responsible.
On the issue of electricity blackouts being experienced across the nation, he said is also being addressed.
“A dip in hydroelectric generation due to seasonal pressures has coincided with technical and supply problems at thermal stations. On this, the government is also working tirelessly to resolve the issues at these stations, to guarantee sufficient power flows into the national grid.
“We have identified the main challenge as being one of low gas-power generation as a result of sabotage of gas pipelines, leading to the shutdown of power plants. This is in addition to ongoing routine maintenance on other gas power plants.
“Actions have since been agreed upon between the players in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), and also the NNPC, with a target of recovering over 1000MW. So far, the restoration to the grid of 375MW has been achieved, following successful repairs to a critical pipeline.
“I am pleased to add that a USD 50 Million Gas Supply agreement is being finalized to secure the availability and sustainability of up to 800MW of underutilized National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) capacity. I have no doubt that all of these efforts and solutions will bear fruit very soon.
