The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has observed that effective distribution of petroleum products through the use of depots outside Lagos would reduce traffic congestion in Apapa.

Chairman of the union, Tokunbo Korodo, who made this statement in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to make use of its depots in other states to ease the Apapa traffic gridlock.

He said that the long queues being experienced in Apapa could degenerate into scarcity of petroleum products if not urgently addressed.

Only three out of over 18 depots in Apapa currently have petroleum products. The companies are Capital Oil and Gas, Ibeto Oil and Gas and Integrated Oil and Gas Tank Farms.

“Now that the major oil marketers are not loading products due to unpaid subsidy, the NNPC should quickly use other depots to decongest Apapa.

“If all the tankers in the country come down to Apapa for supply, it will degenerate into scarcity of petroleum products.

“Most of our truck drivers spend more than four days before they could load, which is additional expenses on tank drivers.

“The government should resolve the problem of major oil marketers before it results to petrol scarcity,” he said.