It was gathered on Thursday that about 800 tankers that formerly transported petrol to filling stations, were being converted by marketers to start moving gas to retail outlets.

them paid for products over three months ago and have not loaded these products. And when the NNPC changed the cost of PMS recently, it is asking them to bring extra N14m or N13m; that is a problem.

“They (marketers) are saying that the NNPC should provide the products that were paid for before the price was increased. That is the challenge I have now. Some of these marketers were on the verge of loading before the price was increased.”

“But NNPC said everybody has to pay the new price because the product has not entered the trucks of those who paid the old rate. I have pleaded with the Vice President of NNPC to see what the company can do.”

The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, reacted to this during a recent television interview, where he stated that “the immediate adjustment is typical anytime there is a price adjustment, even for other commodities in the market.

“For instance, if you buy tomatoes today and the price changes, a businessman will sell the old stock at the new price. This is the reality of the market and it applies to every commodity and not just petrol.

“It also could have been the other way round, prices could have collapsed downwards and those holding the stock will have to sell at lower prices to arrive at the market condition.”

Kyari insisted that it was “really nothing strange,” adding that “it is a stock management issue and is very typical and no one can do anything about this.”