Fuel queues persist in Abuja as Baru visits Villa

…Anenih assures Buhari’ll end recurrent fuel crisis

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr.  Makanti Baru was on Monday sighted leaving the Presidential Villa at about noon amidst a worsening fuel crisis that entered its second week yesterday.

Though, no official reason was given for visit to the Presidential Villa, there are feelers that his presence may not be unconnected with the fuel queues that have persisted in Abuja, despite a presidential directive given to him and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr.Ibe Kachikwu to end the fuel queues by last weekend.

 This was as even as President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday left for Paris, France to participate in “One Planet Summit.”

Daily Sun finding across filling stations in Abuja revealed that many of them were under lock and key as a result of non-availability of petroleum products. Kachikwu had last week assured that the NNPC had enough fuel to last through the festive period till the end of January.

Meanwhile, a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Tony Anenih, yesterday, expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari, has the capacity to put an end to the recurrent fuel crisis, especially during the yuletide.

Anenih optimism came as fuel queues in some parts of the country, especially in Lagos and Abuja assured freightening dimension.

“This has become characteristic, especially in December when Christmas time beckons. Successive governments have had their fair share of the problem.  I believe that something must be wrong somewhere.”

He noted that Nigerians desire a hitch-free Christmas and New Year celebrations, pointing out that fuel scarcity would likely make that impossible, if not urgently addressed.

“In recent months, fuel had been readily available at filling stations nationwide and we thought the reoccurrence of fuel scarcity at Christmas had gone for good,” he said.  Whatever is the problem, I call on the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, to urgently address it in the interest of the masses of the country that already have enough challenges to contend with. I have no doubt that Buhari, as former Federal Commissioner of Petroleum and current Minister of Petroleum Resources, has the capacity to halt the recuring fuel crisis.

Whatever needs to be done to restore seamless distribution of petroleum products should be done as quickly as possible while appropriate measures should be put in place to forestall future occurrence.

This is the expectation of all well-meaning Nigerians and, in my view, it is not too much to ask from our dear President, who has demonstrated over and again that his word is his bond,” he said.