The Federal Government has promised to address the concerns of oil transporters and distributors to help with the smooth distribution of petroleum products, despite the rising costs of operating and maintaining trucks used for transportation.
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), made this commitment during a meeting in Abuja on Monday with key stakeholders from the downstream sector.
The stakeholders, including members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), gathered to discuss the return of fuel queues at stations due to NARTO’s suspension of operations.
This suspension is in response to a previous warning to stop lifting petroleum products nationwide and go on strike starting Monday. It is due to the high costs of operations and maintenance.
Both NARTO and oil marketers are concerned about the high cost of diesel, which is over N1,300 per liter, needed to fuel their trucks for transporting petroleum products across the country.
Minister Lokpobiri praised the transporters for their patriotism and promised to continue working with them to effectively solve their problems.
“The issues raised are primarily commercial, and as a government, we must intervene to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians. We are committed to finding a solution,” the minister affirmed.
After the meeting, NARTO President Yusuf Othman said he was pleased because the minister recognized their concerns and promised government assistance in addressing the problems.
“We are not in conflict with the government. It’s no longer the government’s responsibility to pay our freight rates; it lies with the oil marketers. The minister has promised to convene another meeting with both parties on Tuesday,” Othman stated.
