The federal government has appealed to Nigerians to exercise more patience as the fuel scarcity problem continues to linger across the country.

Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, made the appeal on Sunday in a statement by his Senior Adviser (Media & Communications), Horatius Egua.

“In the last weeks, Nigerians have grappled with fuel scarcity not because of the absence of supply of products but due to inspection failure, which allowed adulterated products into the country.

“This is regrettable, and the Federal Government sympathises with the citizenry over the unforeseen hardship, occasioned by the inevitable scarcity.

“Let me once again appeal to Nigerians to be patient with government in finding lasting solutions to the crisis,” Sylva said.

He appreciated the NNPC for showing so much concern to the plight of Nigerians by coming forward with an apology.

“This is unprecedented and showed that we on the government side are not afraid to take responsibility,” he added.

The minister also said the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority had been out on the streets, fuel stations to ensure that the situation normalise quickly.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s charge to all parties and agencies concerned is to work together to ensure that normalcy returns quickly.

“The Nigerian people deserve the best and the government is determined to set the country on the right path of petroleum products availability and sustainability,” Sylva added.