NIGERIA’S major cities, Lagos and Abuja, are currently groaning under fuel scarcity as a result of the importation of contaminated fuel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
Many filling stations in Abuja and its environs are not selling fuel. There are long queues at the few stations that are selling.
Amid the situation, President Muhammadu Buhari has submitted a supplementary budget of N2.557 trillion to the National Assembly to accommodate fuel subsidy payments.
The president forwarded the proposed supplementary budget to the National Assembly in a letter that was read during plenary on Tuesday.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila read the letter in their respective chambers.
In the letter Buhari said the amendment is necessary to accommodate some issues in the country including petroleum subsidy.
According to the letter, Buhari is asking the National Assembly to approve the sum of N2.557 trillion as supplementary budget for fuel subsidy from July to December 2022.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are forced to wait several hours at filling stations to purchase fuel despite the national oil company’s explanation that it had recalled the contaminated fuel.
The NNPC said it required N210 billion to clean up the contaminated fuel.
Many Nigerians are however complaining that the contaminated fuel had damaged their vehicles.
An Abuja based Journalist Fred Itua said the NNPC is not taking responsibility for the sufferings inflicted on Nigerians.
“Despite this mess on all of us, people are sitting down comfortably in their respective positions,” he said.
Also, Sunday Michael Ogwu, another Abuja based journalist who narrated his experience, complained that his car packed up after he purchased 10 litres of fuel from the black market for N6,000.
“The mechanic examined my car and told me the fuel pump has packed up because of the bad fuel. I will have to look for money to fix it,” Ogwu said.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.