THE Federal Government has instituted secret probes into the activities of some of the marketers involved in the ongoing strike around Abuja with the aim of prosecuting them for economic sabotage.
“The government is looking into the books thoroughly. Some of those involved in the lock down of products during this festive period in Abuja may soon be called upon to answer questions,” a source hinted on Sunday.
Apparently worried by incessant resort to industrial action by petroleum tanker drivers and other unions in the fuel supply chain, the Federal Government is said to have resolved to import no fewer than 1,000 tankers to aid transportation of petroleum products across the country.
The government is also said to have taken delivery of 500 train cargoes also to be used to ferry petroleum products across the country.
Sources in government confirmed on Sunday that the resort to strike by unions in the petroleum sector was becoming embarrassing to the government, adding that the administration was set to break the monopoly which the tanker drivers enjoy.
According to a source, the Federal Ministry of Transport had already taken delivery of about 500 train cargoes which are to be dedicated to lifting petroleum products across the country.

Last week, oil marketers, under the aegis of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA), Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON) and Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) threatened to shut down their facilities nationwide if the government should continue to delay the payment of their outstanding subsidy entitlements.
Though the Federal Ministry of Finance had explained that government had paid over N42 billion outstanding subsidy claims, while also stating that those being investigated for fraud were the only companies with outstanding claims, oil marketers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja had since embarked on strike .
Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said in a statement last week that the strike was being pushed by indicted marketers  and that government was being blackmailed.
Sources in the administration, however, confirmed that the Federal Government was not taking things lying low.
“The government has observed overtime the incessant recourse to strike by unions in the petroleum sector. Many of them forget that their activities tell directly on the lives of Nigerians and that the government is left to bear the blame for situations it did not create. It is for this reason that government has taken the decision to break the monopoly of tanker drivers and other chains of suppliers in the industry,” a source said.

The source added that train cargoes for fuel delivery are already being received by the Ministry of Transport.
“The first batch of the train cargoes has arrived. The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, has taken delivery of the cargoes. Fuel will be moved through the improved train services following the major repair works carried out on the nation’s railways,” another source said, adding the 500 cargoes are involved in the first batch.