The Federal Government stated on Sunday, said the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, which has lingered for about two weeks, is not due to the absence of products but inspection failure.
It announced this as queues by motorists persisted in various filling stations in Abuja and neighbouring states of Nasarawa and Niger, as well as in other locations across the country.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, expressed regrets over the importation of adulterated petrol into Nigeria and its attendant adverse impact nationwide.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Adviser, Media and Communications, Horatius Agua, the minister said inspection failure caused the scarcity of petrol in Nigeria, and he sympathised with Nigerians on behalf of the Federal Government.
He said, “In the last weeks, Nigerians have grappled with fuel scarcity, not because of the absence of supply of products but due to inspection failure, which allowed adulterated products into the country.
“This is regrettable, and the Federal Government sympathises with the citizenry over the unforeseen hardship, occasioned by the inevitable scarcity.
“Let me once again appeal to Nigerians to be patient with the government in finding lasting solutions to the crisis.”
