The federal government has asked Nigerians to exercise patience as it finds “lasting solutions” to the scarcity of premium motor spirit (PMS) in the country.
Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, made the appeal on Sunday in a statement issued by Horatius Egua, his senior adviser on media and communications.
The minister said the government is aware of the hardship faced by Nigerians as a result of the scarcity.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“This is unprecedented and showed that we on the government side are not afraid to take responsibility.”
The minister said the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (MDPRA) is monitoring fuel stations and working to ensure normalcy returns soon.
“It is not a time to trade blames as is customary in Nigeria. It is, therefore, not a time to query anyone but a time to come together to salvage the plight of the average Nigerian,” he said.
“After the storm settles, there will be time enough to investigate and get to the bottom, so that this does not repeat itself.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s charge to all parties and agencies concerned is to work together to ensure that normalcy returns quickly.
“The Nigerian people deserve the best and the government is determined to set the country on the right path of petroleum products availability and sustainability.”
