The Federal Government has directed the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and, the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru to clear fuel queues in Abuja and Lagos – by the weekend.

The directive was issued on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Highlights: The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who briefed journalists on this, said the government has no intention to increase the price of fuel.

“The minister of petroleum was supposed to join us but he has to attend a very important meeting so that this crisis would be resolved.

“No. The government has no intention at all that to increase the pump price of PMS. Two, the minister assured the council that we have enough products until the next one month even until the end of January.

“Thirdly, this is winter period. There is always more demand for refined products for petroleum during winter period in the colder countries, this is what we are experiencing now.

“Also that it has been the NNPC that has been importing but he has assured. The council gave him a matching order that this fuel scarcity should not last beyond this weekend and they are going to work very hard to ensure that it is curtailed. He assured the council that there is actually no cause for alarm.”