The crises in the Plateau state capital notwithstanding, operators in the downstream sector of the oil industry have assured that there has been steady supply of petroleum products into the state.
There had been fears that the mayhem which is already taking its toll on social and commercial activities will also affect fuel supply from the depots.
However, operators in the downstream oil sector have allayed all fears on the supply of petrol to the state saying that, even though it was formerly on the downward trend because petroleum truck drivers stopped coming to Lagos to transport fuel directly to the state owing to the attendant risk to life and the bad state of the roads, they have been able to ensure adequate supply through the Kaduna refinery.
Making this clarification to Shipping Position Weekly, the Depot Manager of Capital Oil and Gas in Lagos Mr. Godfrey Okorie explained that petroleum trucks drivers no longer take products directly to Plateau state because of the risk and the bad roads, instead they take the product to Kaduna and Kano which shares the same borders with Jos.
“Kaduna, Kano and Jos are close knitted and so drivers take these product to Kaduna where they now dislodge to Plateau state, I understand the refinery is now working, though not in full capacity but at least product is being supplied as well from there to cushion any shortage” he said.
In the same vein, sources from Plateau state confirmed to our correspondent that the price of petrol in Jos has not gone beyond the fixed N65 per litre by the government and that all the mega stations belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) in the state are having the product.
According to a report from Usman Goje, one of the transporters who travelled down from Jos “there is an easy calm in the state as far as fuel supply is concerned and this has been because the gap is being bridged with the product circulated from the refinery in Kaduna, the depots are still there and they too are supplying”
He said “the price is still at 65naira per litre and it is only on the black markets that you will see it going for 75 to 80 naira per litre” he added.
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