The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has told the Federal Government to ensure prompt payment of fuel subsidy to avoid persistent scarcity of petroleum products.

The South-West Chairman of the union, Mr Tokunbo Korodo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the current scarcity was due to late payment of subsidy claims to petroleum marketers.

He said that non-payment of the claims had led to non- importation by marketers and loss of jobs by many workers.

The chairman, however, said that activities had resumed at various loading depots in Lagos and other cities because government had released N413billion to marketers.

“Presently, loading of petroleum has commenced in different loading depots in Lagos and the states and I can assure you this has greatly increased distribution of products in the country.

“As far as I'm concerned, there is little or no queue of motorists at filling stations in Lagos presently because the product is available in almost all stations.

“The marketers are also aware of the sanctions that would be given to any filling station that sells above the pump price or refuses to sell when the product is available.”

Korodo urged motorists to exercise patience, adding that the product would soon be distributed to all filling stations in the country.

A NAN correspondent who monitored depots and filing stations along Ikorodu Road, Ojuelegba, Iyana-Ipaja and Agege areas of Lagos, reports that filling stations were dispensing fuel.

Some attendants at the filling stations that were shut said that they were waiting for product.

It was also observed that there was no queue in most of the stations visited and they were selling at the official pump price of N87. (NAN)