(Ecofin Agency) - The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu on Sunday, ordered appropriate agencies to begin the special supply of petroleum products as a way of guarantying the country-wide availability of the product during Christmas.

In the directives, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) are to begin the new special supply intervention measures in ensuring the availability of the product across the nation to curb the looming queues.

However, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, in a statement declared that the regular fuel truck which will be sent to locations such as Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Ibadan and Jos have been increased to augment free flow of products across the country.

NNPC noted that it is associating with some leading depot owners and oil marketers in those areas to guarantee maximum penetration of products. It, however, urge members of the public to abstain from hoarding, diversion and panic buying as the intervention measure would assist in avoiding the impact of the unavailability of pipelines for the conveyance of petroleum products, National Mirror reports.