The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has commenced the direct supply of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, to independent oil marketers in order to effectively clear the fuel queues still prevalent in some parts of the country.

It was gathered on Monday that members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria had started receiving products directly from the NNPC for onward distribution to motorists and other fuel users.

Prior to the development, IPMAN members were getting PMS from major oil marketers and depot owners, a situation the independent oil dealers kicked against, as they argued that the association had the highest number of filling stations across the country.

The National Vice President, IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, told our correspondent that the recent fuel queues in the country became largely pronounced because most independent marketers had no product to dispense despite having widespread outlets.

He, however, stated that fuel queues, particularly in the northern part of the country, would soon fizzle out, as the NNPC had commenced the direct supply of products to IPMAN members on Friday.

Maigandi said, “The NNPC has imported products and our marketers have started loading. In the past, they (NNPC) gave only major marketers and the NNPC retail outlets. But now, they have started giving independent petroleum marketers our share.

“So, definitely, I know there will be improvement by next week because our trucks have started loading since Friday. And between Friday and today (Monday), when the products they load get to the northern part of the country, there will be noticeable improvement.”

He added, “Instead of going to the private depot owners and buying at a higher cost, independent marketers now get supply directly from the NNPC. The problem we had before was that the NNPC was allocating it products to DAPPMA (Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association) and MOMAN (Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria) and to their (NNPC) retail outlets.

“So, independent marketers get products from DAPPMA and MOMAN; and when we go there, they can give us at higher rates, which is the situation in some of their depots up till this moment. But the NNPC has started giving direct allocation to independent petroleum marketers at the same rate with what it gives to both MOMAN and DAPPMA.”

Maigandi noted that going by the latest development, the fuel queues being observed in parts of Niger and Kaduna states as well as in Abuja and other northern states would disappear in a few days.