The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said that the persistent fuel scarcity being experienced in Kaduna State and other states is largely due to shortage in supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The zonal operations controller, Isah Tafida, while addressing journalists at the zonal office in Kaduna, said Kaduna State receives an average of 30 trucks of PMS per day which is below the state sufficiency requirements of 70 trucks per day.

He said for the queues to disappear, “the PPMC will need to increase the fuel supply to the state.”

Mr. Tafida also expressed worry that in spite efforts being put in place by the DPR in collaboration with the security agencies, especially civil defence, to ensure that the few trucks of PMS received are sold to the public, fuel scarcity is still being experienced in the state.

“We are appealing to NNPC and PPMC to increase the supply of PMS to Kaduna state and other states in order for the queues to disappear and situation to normalise,” he said.

The zonal operations controller warned that any marketer that engages in any illegal activity that creates problem of fuel distribution and sales would be severely sanctioned.

“Marketers who are also in the habit of hoarding fuel with the sole intention of selling at night and at exorbitant prices will have themselves to blame as the department will not hesitate to dispense such products to the public for free,” he said.

He disclosed that 18 companies have been sanctioned for fuel diversion, 30 companies who hoard fuel forced to open and sell, 50 companies selling above pump price penalised and made to pay fine while 80 other companies under dispensing fuel also sanctioned accordingly.

He said: “As a regulatory body, we are committed to discharging our responsibilities without any form of compromise. We commend the State Government for ordering security personnel to improve on surveillance particularly within the state metropolis against those who sell at night to black marketers and bring them to book.”