The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has vowed to suspend operations on Monday. This was anounced in a press statement issued by National president of the association, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman, in Abuja.
As a result of this anouncement, long queues resurfaced in available stations in Abuja. In the late hour of yesterday, most motorists were spending between 30 minutes to hour at the NNPC retail outlets at the Ketampe area of Abuja, the NNPC at the Jabi airport junction was not dispensing. Most of the stations around the Kubwa expressway were shut and those dispensing were selling at above N670 per litre.
NARTO president, has stressed the motive behind the strike by saying that his members have been operating at a loss and it is no longer sustainable for them to endure the losses.
“We will have to suspend operations from Monday,“ he said. We cannot continue to operate at a loss. Most people have parked. A lot more are going to park. But from the point of view of the association itself, we are going to suspend operations on Monday.” He ecplained.
Othman, had revealed how his association, had written letters to table their plight of of unbearable cost of operation to the chief of staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; minister of Petroleum Resources; director general, Department of State Services (DSS); Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) chief executive officer; Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) group chief executive officer; and the marketers, but “no response” was recieved.
This has left the association with no other choice but to embark on a strike action.
We have no other options but to inform you that the NARTO National Executive Council (NEC) has resolved to direct all our members not to make their Petroleum Trucks available for Petroleum Products loading activities with effect from Monday, 19th day of February 2024. Othman declared.
National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr Billy Gillis-Harry, has lamented the negative effects the strike will have on the nation‘s economy. He urged authorities to act fast in other to halt the action.
