A TECHNICAL problem that hit one of the pumps at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) last Friday affected the supply of petrol to the Accra-Tema Metropolis on Tuesday and yesterday.
This culminated in vehicular queues at most filling stations as a number of the stations either posted ‘No Petrol’ notices or sold the limited stocks they received from TOR.
However, at the time of going to press yesterday, there were indications of tanker deliveries to some stations which official sources said were part of measures to normalise supplies.
The Minister of Energy, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah said that the shortage has arisen as a result of a technical problem which affected one of the pumps at TOR last Friday. He explained that the problem has been rectified and expressed the hope that the situation will return to normal by today.
A number of filling station managers interviewed said, for the past two weeks they have been receiving half of their allocation without any explanation from the TOR. At the Guggisburg Goil Filling Station at Mamprobi, the Manager, Mr S K Hoenyedzi, who said his stock got finished early yesterday morning, said “although I had placed an order three days ago, I am yet to receive allocation”. He said that he started experiencing the shortage about two weeks ago when the TOR started under-supplying his outfit.
According to him, “for the past two weeks, we have never received our full allocation as we used to, adding that “when you place an order for 27,000 litres, at best, they will give you only half.”
Conferming the shortage problem, Mr G. M. Addo, Manager of Mamprobi Shell Filling Station, who had just received 13,500 litres out of the 45,000 at the time the Graphic team arrived at the station said the problem was widespread.
At the Nima Shell Filling Station, the Manager, Mr Lawrence Cobblah, said that the station has not sold petrol since last Thursday, after they had exhausted the 4,500 litres out of the 31,000 litres they requested. A worker at the Ring Road Total Filling Station said that their stock got finished around 11pm yesterday.
“The shortage is as a result of the fewer litres we have been receiving from the headquarters and I think there is a problem somewhere, because this is not normal”, he added. Mr S M Kumahor, Manager of the Liberation Road Mobil Filling Station, adjacent to Max Mart Shopping Mall, said he placed an order for 32,000 litres but was supplied with only 13,500 litres which run out around 11. a.m. yesterday morning.
At the Liberation Road Total Filling Station, adjacent to the Golden Tulip Hotel, where there was a long vehicular queue, a supervisor, Mr Alex Darko said he placed an order for 27,000 litres, but surprisingly TOR brought only 9,000 litres which he is dispensing.
At the Ring Road Mobil Service Station, the Manager, Mr S Y Apedoe Snr., who had no stock, said that he was awaiting supplies as he had already placed an order.
Some drivers the Graphic spoke to were very apprehensive of the situation and expressed the fears that the situation might be the result of a possible increase in the prices of crude oil on the international market or that there is a general fuel shortage at the TOR due to shipment difficulties.
Others also said that the shortage, although not very serious, should be addressed immediately, adding that it has the potential to affect general productivity, since most workers and the general public will not be able to commute to and from their workplaces.
