Lockdown: NNPC wants smooth movement of petroleum tankers nationwide

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has called on security agencies to allow petroleum products tanker drivers move freely, despite the lockdown ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari in some parts of the country.

The federal government had earlier approved the reduction of the pump price of petrol to N125 from N145.

On Tuesday, however, the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, again, reduced the pump price of petrol to N123.50 per litre from the current price of N125.

According to a statement signed by the corporation’ spokesperson, Jennie Obatero, on Tuesday, NNPC holds over 2.6 billion litres of petrol. This, it said, will be enough to last the period of the lockdown and beyond.

The lockdown as announced by Mr Buhari, on March 29, in a national broadcast, is observed in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, and will be for 14 days.

The president, however, granted exemptions to some categories of “essential workers.”

On Tuesday, petroleum tankers headed to Lagos were stranded after police placed a blockade at the Lagos-Ogun boundary.

The corporation said the federal government counted on the support of the law enforcement agencies across the country to ensure smooth distribution of petroleum products across the nooks and crannies of the country during the period of the restriction.

Motorists were also urged not to engage in panic buying.