The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman on Thursday issued a stern order to the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC to end the raging fuel supply and distribution challenges noticeable in some Nigerian cities or face the obvious consequences.

Addressing members of the 'NNPC War Room' which was created with a mandate to end the fuel issue within the next seven days, Lukman charged the group and the NNPC management to come up with a viable plan of action to end the fuel queues permanently.

"Yes, there may exist some external factors which are hindering your success in this regard but that is the challenge for you because you are the national oil company. There is no more room for excuses because we have been engaged by the government and the Nigerian people to do this job despite the odds. And we must deliver," Lukman said.

He added that there would be no hiding place if the NNPC fails deliver. "People are given a job because of their ability to deliver and if you cannot do it we are going to get people who can do it. This fuel matter is not only a social and economic nuisance but has some negative implication for the national security," the minister stated.

 Taking the bull by the horn the 'NNPC War Room' reeled out a broad based action points designed to flood some Nigerian cities particularly Abuja and Lagos with petroleum products. Under the arrangement products would be deployed from the national strategic stocks in Kano, Suleja and Minna  for onward bridging to the Federal Capital in a massive trail of truck movement which would see Abuja receive extra 110  trucks daily for the next three days. To concretize the arrangement, NNPC Retail Limited, has secured the commitment of over 350 truck owners in the Kano-Kaduna axis for the exercise.

Similarly the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC has equally secured similar commitment from depot owners and tanker drivers in Lagos to facilitate the accelerated evacuation of marine stocks to ease distribution challenges. 

Also the Independent Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has pledged its full support towards assisting the NNPC in tackling the challenge. Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, President of the association told the 'War Room' members that IPMAN would do everything within its powers to ensure that the fuel situation is reversed for good.