Following the outcry of consumers in the state over the non-availability of original DPK product popularly known as kerosene, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG has attributed the scarcity due to the inability of the refineries to function effectively.
The treasurer of the union, Comrade Alex Agwanwor told our reporter Tina Amanda that the scarcity is as a result of refinery not being able to refine DKP product for over two months as well as the technical challenges of the plant that refines kerosene.
According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC and the government is doing everything possible to fix the plant, adding that before the end of August kerosene will be available in the market.
‘’So far, the refinery is not refining DPK. There is no way we can distribute. We as a union, we are under pressure even from our members because we are also in business, it affects tankers drivers. If DPK product is not there, tanker drivers will not load. It affects those that sell the product in their petrol station too.
“We are on NNPC management to make sure the DPK plant is put in order. Base on the pressure, the government is also doing everything possible to make it work and assurance is coming from them that before the end of the month, the DPK plant will start running. We want the public to bear with us, we are on the government to see that the DKP refinery is put to functional use”
He urged consumers not to buy above the regulated pump price of DKP from petroleum marketers.
“Almost everybody makes use of DPK whether they have a car or not. It’s the source of cooking for the majority of the masses especially the downtrodden and when the product is not available in a very high quantity, marketers take the advantage to sell above the regulated pump price in filling stations”
