Scarcity of petrol is looming once again in Nigeria as queues have returned to filling stations.
In Port Harcourt, signs of the scarcity began to manifest yesterday as a good number of filing stations in the city locked up their pumps and stopped selling products, thereby causing unusual panic among motorists and residents who use petrol and diesel to power their homes.
Some of the filling station attendants told NE that they were not selling because they had no product.
As at yesterday, the problem became more pronounced when virtually all filling stations in Ikwerre Road, especially within Diobu axis, Aba Road and Port Harcourt Old Township had no product.
Consumers concentrated on the few stations such as Oando and MRS along Aba Road.
When The Tide visited Oando, there was a long queue stretching from the station near Peoples Democratic party office to Federal Road Safety office (FRSC), on Aba Road.
At Total Filling station by Rumuola Junction on Aba Road, a similar scenario played out with queues stretching to Conoil filling station.
Black marketers had started making brisk business as they were buying from the Oando filing station and selling at road sides at higher prices.
However, at the filing stations that were selling, while some maintained the normal official price of N87.00 per litre of petrol, many others adjusted their pumps, and were selling at between N97 and N105 per litre.
NE gathered that the black marketers dealing on jerry cans were tipping the station attendants to sell to them.
NE also visited some some of the filling stations in Lagos, along Festac Town and gathered that they shut down operations, while those selling have brought traffic to their environment.
Of five petrol stations, NNPC, Forte-oil, Mobil, MRS, Total, only Total, Mobil, and Forte Oil had fuel.
One of the male attendants at Total filling station told NE that the cause of the scarcity is an alleged hike in price of the product to N90 per litre at the depot.
“I think the reason for this scarcity could be as a result of the price of petrol product from the depot which has risen to N90 per litre, and some filling stations cannot afford that,” he said.
A supervisor at the Mobil filling station, however, said despite the N90 per litre, the loading scheme in Apapa has worsened, adding: “When we discharge and go for refill at the depot, the process now takes two days before returning to the various stations for sale.”
At Forte Oil on 21 Road, Festac Town, the experience was obvious, as queues had led to serious gridlock, while the product was sold from one pump at N100 per litre.
According to the supervisor, the station had limited supply and did not know when next they would get. Also, at Fatgbems Station, long queues were seen with two out of six pumps dispensing petrol. A female attendant, who refused to identify herself, maintained that they had orders to sell only from two pumps.
Some of the customers expressed anxiety over the development.
Mr. Sunday Saka, a motorist, who said he had been on the queue for more than three hours said: “We have had to face this stress for the past two days, with the queue at the stations. Today, I have been on this queue for more than three hours.
Also another motorist, Mrs. Beatrice Adebanjo, said she had been on the queue for the past two hours without any hope of getting the product. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Some idiot will now comment on NE that this is the handy work of APC. That they are the ones behind these scarcity just to embarrass GEJ. This government and their propagandist have all run out of excuses to cover up their failures and incompetence.
ReplyDeleteYou lie big fool! This scarcity is a very welcome idea, because Nigerians can now appreciate GEJ and what we have been enjoying......no fuel scarcity. During OBJ administration there's always fuel scarcity every other month but not so with GEJ's administration but idiots are blinded to this fact because they reason with their anus. Let the scarcity continue at least for one whole month. stupid ungrateful fools!
DeleteA very welcome idea....at least lets taste scarcity small and we can testify to the goodness of GEJ's administration.
ReplyDelete