Motorists face hardship as fuel scarcity, price increase persist

THERE appears to be no respite in sight for motorists and commuters in some state capitals across the nation, as long queues and hike in price of petrol, which began at the weekend, continued on Monday.
Against the regulated price of N97, petrol was sold for between N110 and N135 per litre in the few filling stations that were opened to motorists with attendant long queues in such places, while many other fuel outlets were locked throughout the day.
Checks by the Nigerian Tribune in Kano metropolis revealed that black marketers sold four litres of petrol for prices ranging between N650 and N700.Consequently, the few motorists that plied the roads in the town, jacked up transport fares by about 20 per cent, while motorists, who could not afford the exorbitant price of fuel, parked their vehicles in their homes.
Officials from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) were said to have gone out to monitor the situation, when the Nigerian Tribune contacted the office to confirm the allegation that marketers were hoarding the product.
An attendant at one of the filling stations in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, disclosed that the price hike was caused by a correspondent increase in the price of the product from the major marketers.
"If you go round Uyo, you will see that it is only African Petroleum (AP) that is selling petrol among the major marketers in this state. The remaining marketers are selling in bulk and we buy from them at very expensive price. So we can't sell below the cost price," the attendant, who preferred anonymity, said.
Residents of Osun State, who experience a similar situation, had called on officials of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to intervene and address the situation.
Civil servants in Kwara State had to spend long hours at bus stops before they could commute to their duty posts as the fuel scarcity problem kept many commercial vehicles off the roads.
It was the same scenario of long queues and scarcity palaver in Bauchi State. Only the mage station of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the Jos-Bauchi Road sold the commodity to motorists.
Umar Kobi, a commercial motorcyclist, urged the Federal Government to fix the nation's refineries once and for all so as to save Nigerians the hardship usually brought about by the action of the few oil importers.
A cross section of Abuja residents on Monday bemoaned the Federal Government over what they described as incessant artificial fuel scarcity, which has now become source of worry for the residents.
Some of the residents who spoke with Nigerian Tribune decried the fresh queue by motorists for the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS stressing that federal government should be proactive enough to the yearnings and aspiration of Nigerians.
The residents spoke against the backdrop that some of the labour unions, fuel importers and filling stations ganged up to create the artificial fuel scarcity for their own personal gains.
A trader at Wuse market, Mr Chima Obi while expressing his opinion on the matter said, "I can't understand why we have to queue up for fuel in a country where we are blessed with crude oil. Government is not helping the poor masses on this fuel problem, because there is need for government to ensure that Nigerian people are not left to face untold hardship in the name of artificial fuel scarcity."
On his part, a businessman, Mr Tunde Olaosebikan appealed to the Federal Government "to ensure that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC is made to be alive to its responsibility of making available the petroleum products to majority of Nigerians that depends on it."
"What government needs to do now is to give its appropriate agencies marching order as to curtail this perennial fuel scarcity, the NNPC need to procure more petrol tankers and as well open up as many mega filling stations as possible, because with those who are thinking of sabotaging the government effort in this area will think twice. Nigeria is bigger than anybody or groups", he said.
A civil servant who carved for anonymity however send a wake up call to the economic think-thank of President Goodluck Jonathan to come up with good initiative on how to put a stop to the problem.