Fuel scarcity looms as NARTO vows to halt activities over rising operational costs

Nigerians might soon face fuel scarcity if the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) carries out its threat to down tools by Monday, February 19, 2024.

NARTO members have vowed to stop lifting petroleum products due to the high cost of operations following their repeated complaints over the high cost of diesel required to power their tankers for the transportation of petroleum products across the country.

Announcing the development in a statement on Thursday, February 15, 2024, in Abuja, NARTO’s President, Yusuf Othman, said from Monday, members of the association would park their trucks. He said their cost of operation was too much, adding that they could no longer endure losses..

“What we spend on operation is more than what we get in total: both in local and bridging. We will have to suspend operations latest from now till on Monday. We cannot continue to operate at a loss. Most people have parked. A lot more are going to park. But from the point of the association itself, we are going to suspend operations on Monday’ he said

He added that their efforts to get the intervention of key stakeholders in the oil sector and President Bola Tinubu have not been fruitful.