Avoid fuel scarcity this Christmas season – Muslims warn FG, oil marketers

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Wednesday appealed to both the
federal government and oil marketers to do all they can to avoid
scarcity of fuel in the Yuletide.

MURIC, in a statement emailed to DAILY POST by its Director, Professor
Ishaq Akintola, urged both the federal government and oil marketers to
iron out their differences in order to avoid fuel scarcity during the
forthcoming Christmas season.

DAILY POST recalls that oil marketers had issued a seven-day ultimatum
to the Federal Government threatening to embark on a strike and shut
down all depots across the country if their outstanding debts
totalling N800 billion in subsidies are not paid.

But Akintola, in the statement, said, "Yuletide is a sensitive period.
This is the time most Nigerians choose to travel to their cities and
villages in order to cement family ties. It is not the right time to
allow fuel scarcity", hence the federal government and oil marketers
should avoid scarcity of fuel in the forthcoming Yuletide.

"Yuletide is a sensitive period. This is the time most Nigerians
choose to travel to their cities and villages in order to cement
family ties. It is not the right time to allow fuel scarcity.

"We appeal to FG to do everything within its power to ensure that oil
marketers do not carry out their threat. Unlike in the past, this
administration has been able to ensure smooth supply of fuel. Yuletide
is a sensitive period. This is the time most Nigerians choose to
travel to their cities and villages in order to cement family ties. It
is not the right time to allow fuel scarcity.

"There have been no queues in petrol stations across the country. We
appreciate this feat. But we are saying it should not be allowed to
happen. Fuel scarcity causes lots of inconvenience for ordinary
Nigerians".

"We warned about this in our press release dated 29th October, 2018.

"Our exact words on that occasion were, 'November is just three days
away today and these agents of darkness must be somewhere now plotting
to disrupt the smooth flow of supply and distribution. Their main
objective is to discredit the government of the day particularly now
that the 2019 election is just a stone's throw away. It is therefore
necessary for FG to watch out from now on. Another attempt may be made
to cause artificial fuel scarcity. Those behind the move do not care
about the common man.

"They do not care about hundreds of citizens who will be stranded on
the roads as a result of fuel scarcity or the average Nigerian car
owner who will be compelled to spend hours at fuel stations."

MURIC then appealed to the Federal Government to avert another fuel
scarcity particularly in the interest of ordinary Nigerians who may be
caught in the crossfire as transport fares are most likely to
skyrocket.