Chidi Samuel || The Senate has given the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) seven day to bring to an end the lingering fuel crisis in the country.
The Senate gave the order in response to the presentation by the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Petroleum Downstream in Abuja.
Baru informed the lawmakers that if the activities of the fuel truck diverters and smugglers were left unchecked, it would be absolutely difficult to guarantee round-the-clock availability of petrol throughout the country.
He added that the sudden and unnatural shock in fuel consumption to record levels has over-stretched the Direct-Sale-Direct-Supply (DSDP) crude for product supply arrangement which was originally based on 35 million per day petrol consumption pattern.
Baru further suggested that with the current unprecedented average daily fuel evacuation of 55 million litres since December 1, 2017, to date, it was imperative for the security agencies to close-in on the smuggling syndicates who were cashing in on the obvious petrol price differentials between Nigeria and neighboring countries to make illicit profits.
To sustain adequate supply of petroleum products and national energy security, he stressed the need for the Federal Government to provide flush volumes in January and March 2018.
At the resumption of plenary on Thursday, the Senate in a resolution, directed the NNPC to end fuel queues in seven days.
It also directed all security agencies to ensure effective border control measures and avoid the smuggling of petroleum products.