The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, on Thursday, assured Nigerians of the availability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol by the weekend.
The minister disclosed this to journalists at the end of a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House, Abuja.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, and the Executive Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mugo Okuoha, were also at the meeting.
He said the meeting was at the instance of President Bola Tinubu who is presently in China for a meeting with the country’s president, Xi Jinping, and business leaders.
He urged Nigerians to desist from panic buying, saying the prices would stabilize when the product was available.
Fuel queues returned to fuel stations across the country toward the end of last month, with the marketers blaming the Federal Government for the scarcity of the product.
The Lokpobiri promises fuel availability by weekend after meeting with Shettima on Tuesday increased the price of the product across its retail outlets from 568 to ₦885 per litre.
This followed a denial by Lokpobiri on the approval of a fuel price increase by the federal government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have since condemned the fuel price hike and demanded the immediate reversal of the decision.
Lokpobiri said: “What is important is for us to convey to Nigerians that the President is empathetic about what is going on in the country. He is concerned about the hardship of Nigerians, and that was why he directed the Vice President to call this meeting, for us to reflect on what is going on in the country.
“What is important is that products are available in the country, and we believe that between now and the weekend, there will be availability of products across the length and breadth of the country.
“The price could be high in some other areas, much higher in some other locations, and in some locations, much more than you know other areas. But we believe that by the time there is availability of products across the country, the price itself is stabilized.”
The post Lokpobiri promises fuel availability by weekend after meeting with Shettima appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Naomisophyblog.