Nigerians are faced with what could be best described as a double whammy of fuel scarcity and poor electricity supply that left them frustrated and angry as they struggled to go about their daily lives.
“Across Nigeria, from Lagos to Sokoto, Borno to Enugu, and Abuja to Cross River, the situation was the same – Nigerians faced a terrible experience as fuel scarcity led to long queues at fuel stations.
Jerrymusa.com reports that economic activities were slow, and travelers were left stranded at bus stops and motor parks as commercial vehicles couldn’t operate due to fuel shortage. Many fuel stations in Lagos were closed, and those open sold fuel at exorbitant prices – up to N900 per liter, previously N600.
Black Market Operators Hikes Price
In Sokoto, some stations sold fuel for as high as N1,500 per liter, while black market sellers charged between N2,000 and N3,000 per liter. As a result, transporters increased fares by 100% to cover the high cost of fuel.
For instance, in Lagos, commuters paid N2,000 from Mile 12 to Mile 2, a distance that used to cost them N1,000, while others paid N1,000 from CMS to Mile 2, which previously cost about N500. There were also indications that the scarcity may have led to a hike in the prices of foodstuff, especially pepper.
A Lagos resident, Adedeji Abiodun, said, “The scarcity of petrol not only affects transportation but also foodstuff prices, especially pepper. In the last week, sellers have been complaining about the hike in the cost of transporting their goods.
My experience in this weird week due to scarcity of petrol and power outage has been terrible. Transportation fares doubled because fuel scarcity made most drivers park their buses. And for the few drivers that were able to get PMS, they increased fares.
However, I had no choice but to board their vehicles because I had to get to work. In just three days, I spent my two weeks transport fare. As regards electricity, we hardly have four hours of light in a day in my area.
Most people now depend on fuel for domestic use and businesses. Yet, what amazes me is how we are paying bills as if we are in band A or B.
This saddens my heart.” A former Commissioner in Sokoto State, who was seen grappling to have a gallon of petrol for his car, blamed petroleum marketers in the state for the chaos.
“I am 74 years old but throughout my entire life, I have never witnessed this kind of fuel scarcity,” he said. “Many people believe the situation was worsened because marketers were allegedly hoarding the product to create artificial scarcity and tension in the state.
Government should wake up from slumber and deal with the situation even if it warrants revoking their C of Os to save the state from the shackles of the greed of few individuals.”
Meanwhile, succor may not come quickly going by a statement credited to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN.
The association had, on Monday, said the petrol scarcity could take more than two weeks to normalize. IPMAN, through its Public Relations Officer, Chinedu Ukadike, said the product was not available in the country.
He said it has become a bit of a challenge to source the product because most refineries in Europe are undergoing turnaround maintenance.”