President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday apologised to Nigerians over the persistent fuel scarcity and power outages in the country.
Nigerians have been groaning over the fuel scarcity which surfaced in many parts of the country last month while the collapse of the national grid has thrown Lagos and eight other states into a total blackout since Monday.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President expressed regrets for the inconvenience caused to the citizens by the prolonged shortage of petroleum products in many parts of the country.
He urged Nigerians to be patient as relief was coming their way soon.
Buhari said: “The administration knows the fuel shortage and power outage have placed a strain on Nigerian citizens and businesses, but relief is on the way. I especially apologize to all sections of society for this.
“The government is working round the clock to attend to this issue. An action plan agreed upon earlier this month is being implemented to address the scarcity.
“Working together with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), this plan is now bearing fruit.
“Sufficient fuel supply has returned to a handful of states, with the queues at stations falling. In the coming days, we expect this to be the case across the rest of the country.
“Looking to the longer term, funds are being targeted toward keeping fuel availability affordable for the country. The international energy markets have surged drastically in recent months, the government will, however, ensure that consumers are protected against these price spikes.”
On the nationwide blackouts being experienced across the country, he added:
“The blackouts seen in the national grid are also being addressed. A dip in hydroelectric generation due to seasonal pressures has coincided with technical and supply problems at thermal stations.
“On this, the government is also working tirelessly to resolve the issues at the latter to guarantee sufficient power flows into the national grid.
“The government’s attention to these problems will bear fruit very soon.”
